Prince Harry apologises for racist "wrongs of the past" in heartfelt speech
2 July 2020, 11:19 | Updated: 2 July 2020, 11:20
In a speech at the 2020 Diana Awards, Prince Harry apologised to the younger generation whilst addressing institutional racism.
In a powerful speech on what would have been his mother Princess Diana's 59th birthday, Prince Harry has condemned "institutional racism" and promised to be part of the solution.
The Duke Of Sussex was speaking at the 2020 Diana Awards from his new home in Los Angeles and in his passionate speech he apologised for the "wrongs of the past".
The Duke of Sussex began by addressing his mother's positive impact on the world, saying, "I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you and I can assure you she would have been fighting your corner. Like many of you, she never took the easy route, she never took the popular one, or the comfortable one. But she stood for something. And she stood up for people who needed it."
He went on to say, "Right now, we're seeing situations around the world where division, isolation and anger are dominating as pain and trauma come to the surface. But I see the greatest hope in people like you and I'm confident about the world's future and its ability to heal because it is in your hands."
Referencing a recent conversation with his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry revealed, "My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to right the wrongs of the past. I too am sorry - sorry that we haven't got the world to a place you deserve it to be. Institutional racism has no place in our societies, yet it is still endemic. Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you."
It's the first time that a leading member of the Royal Family has directly spoken out about institutional racism in recent times.
He went on to confirm that he will be actively supporting the fight for racial equality and said, "I want you to know that we are committed to being part of the solution and to being part of the change that you are all leading. Now is the time and we know that you can do it."
> Find out how you can support the Black Lives Matter movement here!
