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The Sussexes

Duke of Sussex celebrates 70 years of the Commonwealth

The Duke of Sussex attended a garden party on Friday, 14 June which was held to celebrate the achievements of young people from across the 53 Commonwealth nations and to mark 70 years of the Commonwealth. The Duke, who is a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, presented innovation awards to young people who are making a difference in a number of areas such as the environment, employment, human rights and education.

The event was held at Marlborough House in London, which is the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation and is regularly used for functions of this kind. This was the inaugural event of the Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards which has been introduced in the 70th year of the Commonwealth.

Alongside the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Prince Harry presented awards and certificates to 15 winners, who were recognised by an independent panel for their innovations. Amongst the winners were Elizabeth Kperrun, from Nigeria, who developed learning aids that can teach children and young adults in their native languages through the medium of videos and mobile applications. Ata UI Haq, from Pakistan, won an award for promoting women’s empowerment and helping to safeguard women and girls affected by conflict. Rosette Muhoza, from Rwanda, won an award for promoting green cities and recycling in order to tackle urban waste management.

It was announced in April 2018 that the Duke had been appointed by Her Majesty The Queen to the role of Commonwealth Youth Ambassador in order to create links between youth leaders and young people and encourage them to address challenges in areas such as the environment and society. During the event at Marlborough House on Friday, the Duke of Sussex spent time speaking to the winners of the innovation awards and those attending from a number of Commonwealth organisations.