Of all Princess Diana’s legacies, her dedication to philanthropy has been perhaps the most enduring.
Before her death in 1997, the late Princess of Wales used her public profile to champion causes including landmine clearance, AIDS awareness, and support for homeless people.
Now, her firstborn son Prince William has reflected on how her passion for charity has stayed with him 20 years on.
Delivering the keynote speech at the Charity Commission Annual Public Meeting on Tuesday, the Duke of Cambridge praised his parents for instilling in him, and brother Prince Harry, a “lifelong habit to put charity at the heart of our lives”.
“When I first became a father ... I began a process of thinking about the way I had been brought up, and the values that my parents had instilled in me,” he said.
“Some of my earliest memories relate to times that my parents spoke to me or - even better - showed me what it meant to have both privilege and responsibilities.
“I remember being taken by my mother to a homelessness shelter at a young age, her explaining to me why the people I met there matter; why no society can be healthy unless we take other people seriously.”
It’s a lesson William has taken on board - at age 23, the prince assumed his late mother’s role as patron of Centrepoint, an organisation providing housing and support for young homeless people.
The soon-to-be father of three also spoke of how central charity is to Prince Charles’ life, through his work with the Prince’s Trust.
“As a young child, I recall evening after evening my father's diligence and compassion as he applied himself to answering thousands of letters and reading endless reports in order to stay on top of his ambition to do all he could to help the underprivileged,” William said.
The 36-year-old then outlined the charitable efforts of his grandparents, mentioning that Queen Elizabeth always pays tribute to organisations and volunteers in her annual Christmas broadcasts.
“My family have not done this because it looks good - they do it because charity is not an optional extra in society,” he continued.
“We believe that, above anything else, charities nurture, repair, build and sustain our society. Without the work that charities do, society would be an empty shell.”
Addressing the challenges faced by charitable organisations, including the “shrinking pot” of funding, William shared how he and Prince Harry have encouraged collaboration between them.
“There are a number of sectors in which I have become closely involved and in which I am not Patron of one of the charities,” he explained.
"I am deeply committed, but not through particular attachment to one charity over and above others.
“My brother has followed a similar path in his work with charities supporting veterans.”
William concluded his speech by thanking the charitable sector for its efforts and pledging his ongoing support.
“One of the most fun and enjoyable aspects of my work as I travel around the country is seeing your work – a great antidote to cynicism,” he said.
“If you lived your life on Twitter, or on news pages, you could be forgiven for assuming that society is falling apart.
“These challenges are all real, but they are not the whole story - in fact, they are not even half the story: kindness, compassion, neighbourliness, big and small acts of generosity form the glue of our society, and our links to other parts of the world.”
