Prince Harry honored Princess Diana’s philanthropic work with the HIV and AIDS community in a new letter marking the 40th anniversary of the British Terrence Higgins trust.
The 38-year-old estranged royal claimed his late mother’s involvement with the HIV and sexual health charity was a “large part” of her legacy. It is named after Terrence “Terry” Higgins, who in July 1982 was one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness.
“I’ve been involved with the Terrence Higgins Trust for a number of years and the fight to end this epidemic is a huge part of my mother’s legacy,” Harry wrote in the note, which was included in a catalog for the charity’s main fundraiser. . event, the auction, on Monday, according to the independent.
“While my mother has not experienced the success of today’s treatments, I am extremely proud to continue her advocacy for you,” he continued. “My mother grew up in a world where HIV was probably a death sentence. But in the midst of all that uncertainty, she led with empathy, finding the humanity in everything around her and demonstrating the power of connection in the face of fear.
Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi, opened the UK’s first HIV/AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital in 1987. shaking hands with AIDS patientsdespite the world’s early lack of knowledge and understanding about the disease.
In February 1989 she did just that hugged a 7-year-old boy with AIDS in a hospital in New York City.
“As the Terrence Higgins Trust has evolved over the years, their goal has remained the same: to end new broadcasts,” Harry’s letter continued.
“Terrence Higgins Trust has pledged to make England the first country to end new HIV cases by 2030, but they need us all to do our part by encouraging testing so we all know our status, to eradicate the stigma that thrives on silence and the resources the Terrence Higgins Trust needs to sustain their efforts.”
Harry’s letter comes days after he and Markle continued to make headlines over their split from the royal family. On Sunday, representatives for the couple confirmed that they are turned off from their stay at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
And despite the couple’s public desire for a private life separate from the hierarchy, it has also been confirmed that they have received an invitation to King Charles III’s coronation, which is scheduled for May 6.
Some fans believe the date was on purpose chosen for discomfort Harry and Meghan, as May 6 is also their son Archie’s 4th birthday.
