Prince William delivered a moving speech at a prize ceremony for the Diana Legacy award, promising not to let anything happen to his wife, Princess Catherine, like his mother had endured under intense media scrutiny.
The Princess of Wales attended the event at the Science Museum in London on Thursday night, giving a speech to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary and present awards to 20 recipients. In his speech, Prince William emphasized their focus on Diana’s legacy through their own work and praised the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana award over the past 25 years.
Visibly emotional, he solemnly vowed never to let Catherine endure the pain his mother went through in the wake of intense public backlash and media scrutiny. He expressed pride in seeing the belief of his mother represented by the young people receiving the awards.
Prince William also criticized the media, particularly the tabloid press, for their treatment of Catherine, likening it to the treatment his mother received in her final days. He defended Catherine over the recent controversy surrounding a family photo and expressed annoyance at the press agencies for making a fuss about it.
Prince William’s speech came after his wife issued a surprise apology for the Mother’s Day photo and amid growing speculation about her health condition. The Diana Legacy Awards honor young people affecting social change, inspired by the late Princess Diana’s commitment to service.