Prince Harry officially opened the Commonwealth Youth Forum this morning, it marked the start of his new role. Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, has appointed him a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. The newly-appointed Ambassador addressed a packed room of delegates and told attendees that he was excited to be part of the event.
Prince Harry focused on the important role that young people can play in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing Commonwealth citizens today. He said, “The young adults I have met across the Commonwealth have shown me time and again that your generation understands something very important: that to tackle a big challenge, you need to focus on the root causes, not the symptoms – something my father has believed for years, yet something society still struggles with.”
Echoing the words of his grandmother The Queen, Prince Harry said the Commonwealth was “a thriving family of nations, a common link between nearly two and a half billion people, and a defender of democracy, justice, and peace.”
He went on to state that one of those big challenges was climate change and that, by working together, future generations of the Commonwealth could make a major difference.
The new youth ambassador also took time to announce the creation of 150 new Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships to support young academics from across universities in low and middle-income countries.
Prince Harry concluded by saying that the energy and enthusiasm of the Commonwealth’s citizens meant that he would have his hands full in his new role. He said, “I know that serving as an ambassador to young people I am going to have to try to keep up with you!”
