Prince William has revealed the powerful piece of advice Princess Diana once gave him

Princess Diana attends the Vj Day 50th anniversary celebrations in London
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Diana was known as the people's princess, and from her iconic style moments and her determination to be human to her non-stop breaks with protocol, she is still one of the most talked-about members of the royal family. 

This week saw The Diana Award ceremony - a legacy awards celebrating "the achievements of 20 young leaders, visionaries and role models from across the world", created in honour of the late Princess of Wales. 

While honouring this year's winners onstage, Prince William opened up about his mother, sharing a powerful piece of advice that she had once given him: “Everyone has the potential to give something back.

“I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe,” Prince William reportedly announced in a moving speech. “She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back, that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life."

He later concluded: “I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.”

Prince Harry also made an appearance at the Diana Awards, joining virtually to personally thank those in the room for all that they had done.

“Thank you very much for inspiring so many others and at the same time protecting my mother’s legacy," the Duke of Sussex stated in a video call. "I really appreciate that".

Princess Diana attends the Head of State VE Remembrance with Prince William and Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This is not the first time Princess Diana's guidance to her sons has made news, with the late Princess of Wales herself recounting the advice she once gave 12-year-old son William in her 1995 Panorama interview.

"I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life you must hang on to it and look after it," she recalled. "And if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you then one must protect it."

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.