SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

British RoyalsThe Sussexes

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend memorial service for Stephen Lawrence

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend a memorial service next week marking the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s murder at St Martins-in-the-Fields in London.

Stephen Lawrence was only 18 when he was murdered at a bus stop in a racially motivated attack on 22 April 1993. He had been visiting his uncle with a friend when a group of men surrounded him and fatally stabbed him twice. His attackers took off running in one direction while Stephen and his friend ran off in another, but he only made it 120 metres before he collapsed. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

Although five men were arrested, none were convicted. Two initial suspects were tried again in 2012 and found guilty of Stephen’s murder and are now serving life sentences.

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was founded by his grieving mother, Baroness Lawrence, in 1998.

“We believe that every young person, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity and support to flourish in a society that treats them with fairness and respect. That’s why we work with young people aged 13 to 30 to broaden their view of what’s possible,” reads the Trust’s official website.

The Trust operates towards six objectives: the Stephen Lawrence Building Futures programme for aspiring architects and those wanting to have careers in the built environment industry; programmes that support hard to reach citizens; “innovative employment and enterprise” programmes; to become a “highly effective social business”; to use the Stephen Lawrence Centre in south London; and to grow Voice of Transformation to achieve social justice.

Prince Harry and Meghan will meet Stephen’s mother and her son Stuart before the service begins. Harry will also read a message on behalf of the Prince of Wales showing his support for her work and for the memory of Stephen.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.