Prince Harry Writes Personal Letter on Behalf of His Mother Princess Diana on World AIDS Day

Simon Perry
·2 min read
prince-harry-hiv-psa
prince-harry-hiv-psa

Kensington Palace Prince Harry

Prince Harry is speaking out on behalf of his late mother Princess Diana.

The Duke of Sussex, 37, is calling on the world to join a movement to ensure that science for HIV and COVID-19 reaches all who need it most.

Harry has written a letter and narrated a film in honor of World AIDS Day on Wednesday to bring awareness to the fight against HIV and AIDS — a cause championed by his mother. Diana was at the forefront in the effort to break the stigma experienced by people affected by HIV and AIDS.

"We honour those whose lives have been cut short and reaffirm our commitment to a scientific community that has worked tirelessly against this disease," Harry writes in a letter to Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director UNAIDS, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, the World Health Organization's Director-General.

"My mother would be deeply grateful for everything you stand for and have accomplished. We all share that gratitude, so thank you," he continues.

RELATED: Private Investigator Apologizes for 'Robbing' Prince Harry of His 'Normal Teenage Years'

The Duke of Sussex
The Duke of Sussex

International AIDS Conference/Youtube Prince Harry

Harry, who has twice undergone public testing for HIV (including alongside Rihanna in Barbados in 2016) to encourage people to be tested, spoke out at the special UNAIDS conference on Wednesday.

"It is striking to now see the world's leading AIDS activists are also leading the call for COVID-19 vaccine equity," his letter continues. "Vaccinating the world is a test of our moral character and we are experiencing a spectacular failure when it comes to global vaccine equity. Similar to the AIDS crisis, we've yet again revealed over the past year, that the value of life depends on whether you were born and/or live in a rich nation, or a developing country."

prince harry, princess diana, prince william
prince harry, princess diana, prince william

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Prince William, Princess Diana and Prince Harry

In the accompanying film, narrated by Harry and Winnie Byanyima, he speaks out on COVID vaccine access, likening it to the efforts to help those with HIV and AIDS.

"This is a story about how corporate greed and political failure have prolonged both pandemics and what we can do to stop it," he says in the video that was played at the beginning of the UNAIDS conference on Wednesday.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

It follows his and wife Meghan Markle's intervention in the debate about the worldwide access to vaccines at the Global Citizen Live event in New York in September.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Searing heat shuts schools for 33 million children

    Bangladesh has closed schools and colleges due to extreme heat for the second year in a row.

  • Factbox-Italian tourist hotspots start to raise defences against overcrowding

    Venice became the first city in the world on Thursday to introduce a payment system for visitors in an experiment aimed at dissuading tourists from arriving during peak periods. However, it isn't the only place in Italy that has recently introduced new measures aimed at slowing tourist flows. The experiment came into force on April 25, a national holiday in Italy.

  • Anglo American shares soar on £31bn takeover approach from BHP

    The potential deal would create the world’s biggest copper miner, with around 10% of global output.

  • SNP and Scottish Greens power-sharing deal ends following climate target row

    The SNP and Scottish Greens power-sharing deal has formally ended following a row over a climbdown on climate targets, Sky News understands. It comes after First Minister Humza Yousaf summoned a meeting of his Cabinet - usually held on a Tuesday - this morning following speculation over the future of the Holyrood deal, first struck by his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon. There has been unhappiness in the Green Party after the Scottish government scrapped its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2030.

  • Windmill falls off the Moulin Rouge

    The sails of Paris’s Moulin Rouge windmill crashed to earth overnight in a freak accident that has never occurred since the cabaret club was founded in 1889.

  • Shawarma restaurant in Cairo brings taste of home for displaced Palestinians

    A Palestinian businessman displaced by the war in Gaza is bringing a taste of home for fellow refugees with a Shawarma restaurant he has opened in Cairo. Abu Al-Awn hopes his time outside Gaza will be temporary and he is determined to return to the enclave once the war between Israel and Hamas is over. Rimal was Gaza City's busiest shopping center, with large malls and main bank offices before Israeli forces reduced most of it to rubble.

  • SNP ends power-sharing deal with Scottish Greens over climate strategy, reports say

    Cabinet votes to leave historic Bute House agreement after government abandons emissions target

  • SNP 'scraps' power-sharing deal with Scottish Greens

    The SNP has scrapped its power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens, according to reports. The Bute House Agreement was reportedly dropped following an emergency Cabinet meeting at Bute House in Edinburgh on Thursday morning. Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf had called the meeting of the Scottish cabinet following growing tensions between the SNP, which is the largest party at Holyrood, and the Scottish Greens, who are currently their junior partners in the Scottish Government.

  • FOREX-Yen hits fresh 34-year lows against dollar ahead of BOJ meeting

    The yen hit fresh 34-year low versus the dollar and a 16-year low against the euro on Thursday as investors expect a Bank of Japan policy meeting that ends on Friday not be hawkish enough to support the Japanese currency. "If they (Japanese authorities) don’t step in, the breach of the 155 level can attract speculative flows as markets expect intervention," said Athanasios Vamvakidis, global head of G10 forex strategy at BofA. "If they buy yen, pressures can still arise because many investors are waiting for intervention to sell the Japanese currency," he added, arguing that the yen could reach 160 even if there is intervention.

  • Kemi Badenoch says Humza Yousaf is being ‘too lazy’ to introduce legislation to exonerate Horizon victims

    Kemi Badenoch has accused Humza Yousaf’s government of being “too lazy to do the work” after the UK Government rejected his plea for Scotland to piggyback on its legislation exonerating the Horizon scandal victims.

  • Israel-Gaza – live: US demands ‘answers’ from Israel after mass graves found near hospitals

    The Israeli army said any suggestion of its responsibility for the mass graves was ‘baseless’ and ‘unfounded’

  • Ukraine-Russia war live: US-supplied long-range missiles ‘already hitting’ Putin’s forces after secret delivery

    The missiles were supplied to Ukraine under a secret deal agreed in March ahead of the £76bn US security package

  • US college protests - live: Texas students arrested and encampment erected at USC

    Over 100 students at NYU and Columbia have been arrested this past week over pro-Palestinian protest encampments

  • Predators, Canucks square off with series tied 1-1

    Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9, first in the Pacific Division) vs. Nashville Predators (47-30-5, fourth in the Central Division)Nashville, Tennessee; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Predators -120, Canucks +100; over/under is 6NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators and the Vancouver Canucks are in a 1-1 series tie in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Predators won the previous meeting 4-

  • Kings, Oilers meet with series tied 1-1

    Edmonton Oilers (49-27-6, second in the Pacific Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (44-27-11, third in the Pacific Division)Los Angeles; Friday, 10:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Oilers -128, Kings +108; over/under is 6.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the first round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 1-1. The teams meet Wednesday for the seventh time this season. The Kings won 5-4 in overtime in the la

  • Avalanche, Jets square off with series tied 1-1

    Winnipeg Jets (52-24-6, second in the Central Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (50-25-7, third in the Central Division)Denver; Friday, 10 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Avalanche -171, Jets +143; over/under is 6.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets are in a 1-1 series tie in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Avalanche won the last meeting 5-2.Colorado has a 17-9-2 record

  • New York visits Washington with 2-0 series lead

    New York Rangers (55-23-4, first in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Washington Capitals (40-31-11, fourth in the Metropolitan Division)Washington; Friday, 7 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Rangers -172, Capitals +144; over/under is 5.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Rangers lead series 2-0BOTTOM LINE: The New York Rangers visit the Washington Capitals in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the seventh time this season. The Rangers won 4-3 in the

  • Hero teacher restrains teenage girl as stabbings send Welsh school into lockdown

    The girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the chaos erupted at the end of morning break at Amman Valley School on Wednesday.

  • FTSE 100 LIVE: London outshines European peers amid Anglo American takeover bid

    The FTSE 100 outperformed against its European peers on Thursday, hitting a new high for the third session in a row.

  • Seven teens with alleged 'extremist ideology' arrested in Sydney raids

    Police say they belong to the same network as the 16-year-old boy who allegedly attacked a church last week.