Prince Harry is proud to carry on Princess Diana’s legacy.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, recently teamed up with rugby legend Gareth Thomas to raise awareness about National HIV Testing Week in the U.K. The royal appeared via video chat to discuss his mother’s impact with Thomas, who’s the founder of the Tackle HIV campaign. Not only was Princess Diana an advocate for those living with the virus, but she also opened the U.K.’s first HIV/AIDS unit at the Middlesex Hospital in London.
“What my mom did, and what so many other people did at that time, was to smash that wall down. To kick the door open and say, ‘No. When people are suffering, then we need to learn more, and if there’s a stigma that’s playing such a large part of it, then what we really need to do is talk about it more,’” Prince Harry said. “That kind of made people feel a little bit uncomfortable to start with. But stigma thrives on silence. We know that.”
The royal added, “What my mom started all those years ago was creating empathy and understanding…but also curiosity, which I think was really powerful.”
Prince Harry went on to explain why he’s continuing what Princess Diana started, saying, “Every single one of us has a duty, or at least an opportunity, to get tested ourselves to make it easier for everybody else to get tested. It will undoubtedly save a life or, at the very least, encourage someone who is living in fear to come forward and get to know their own status, which in turn will save a life.”
You have our attention, Harry.
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