Prince William and Prince Harry Avoid Overlap, Keep Distance with Separate Tributes at Diana Award….Read More

The brothers avoided a joint appearance at the annual awards ceremony in their late mother’s name

Prince William and Prince Harry are keeping their distance while supporting the charity established in memory of their late mother, Princess Diana.

On Dec. 4 and 5, the Prince of Wales, 42, and the Duke of Sussex, 40, will be sending support to the latest recipients of the Diana Award. The cohort will be honored at a virtual ceremony on Thursday, with the princes issuing separate congratulatory messages.

The split strategy avoids any overlap between the royal brothers, as a strain remains amid a rift in their relationship. Sources previously told PEOPLE that Harry’s attempts to connect with his brother — through texts, calls, and messages — are ignored.

The rift with Prince William is “very bad,” said a royal insider, but it’s not “irreparable.”

King Charles’ sons last joint engagement was the unveiling of a statue honoring their late mother at Kensington Palace in July 2021, timed to what would have been her 60th birthday, and have maintained space at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and King Charles’ coronation since. They also kept their distance and avoided speaking to each other at the memorial service for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in August.

Prince William and Prince Harry are uniquely linked through their support for the Diana Award, which continues Princess Diana’s mission of believing young people can change the world.

Prince William sent a heartfelt letter to the latest class of Diana Award winners on Dec. 4, saying that he was “heartened” by their achievements and confident that Princess Diana would be, too.

“I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you. I hope this award helps you to further champion your cause and support those around you,” Prince William said in part.

The Diana Award is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and marking it in a major way, honoring 200 young people in its largest-ever awards. The contingent of recipients hail from 45 countries, with a record 34 recipients from the U.S., the country Prince Harry has called home since stepping back from his royal role in 2020.

Following William’s letter, Harry is due to appear at the virtual awards ceremony on Dec. 5 via video message. The Duke of Sussex will appear alongside the Diana Award’s Legacy Award recipients Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang and Christina Williams, 27, from Jamaica, who he spent time with in New York City in September for the Diana Award panel at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit. Viewers can tune in on YouTube from 10 a.m. EST on Dec. 5.