Prince Edward shared a special memory of his father, Prince Philip, as he helped celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The Prince was hosting a special garden party at Buckingham Palace to mark seven decades and counting of the scheme which supports young people to learn new skills and develop confidence and capabilities when his story came to light.
Recalling his own Gold Award, Prince Edward, said that ”my father would give the bunch of Award certificates to a presenter to distribute, but this time he talked to our group, gave me my certificate and then said, ‘Well, since I’ve given you that one, I’ll give you the rest’ and handed the whole lot to me to hand out!”
The memory was shared on an online scrapbook set up to mark the anniversary. A photo of the event was also added, showing Edward holding all the certificates after being given instructions by his father.
The garden party welcomed over 2,000 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award holders to the Palace. A number of celebrations have been held in the past days for the Award scheme with over 9,000 holders enjoying the party.
And this was a garden party with a difference as the Palace grounds were transformed into a festival style event with giant deckchairs, activities and plenty of bunting.
The garden party started with a speech from Prince Edward who told the DofE Award holders that they should be ”incredibly proud” of all that they had achieved.
Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said ”“It’s incredible to think that 70 years ago, 7,000 young people started a DofE journey; fast forward to 2026 and this number shoots up to over 345,000. As young people navigate an uncertain time, we will continue to champion opportunities that build confidence, resilience and human skills for all young people.”
Some famous faces who have become DofE Gold Award holders also took part with TV presenter, Jake Humphrey, recalling how the scheme helped him build confidence at a difficult time in his life. He said ”We have to realise that the hardest moments in our lives are often preparing us for the biggest moments in our lives. And that, to me, is the spirit of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.”
To obtain a Gold DofE Award, young people have to spend at least 12 months gaining new skills as well as taking on an expedition and residential, which they have to help plan as well. Volunteering is also key to the award and participants have to give their time and energy to a cause they are passionate about to obtain their Gold.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award started in 1956 with at least 8.8 million young people in the UK starting one of the Awards. In the last 12 months, there have been 345,000 new starts and Award scheme participants have volunteered at least 6 million hours in their local communities.
Evie Ball, 19, from Preston spoke about the difference it had made to her, saying ”In my opinion the DofE is an equaliser. No matter your background, it will encourage you to succeed. Everyone here today has been on their own unique journey, and that’s what makes this Award so special.”
As well as the celebratory garden parties, other events are taking place to mark the 70th anniversary of the DofE scheme while everyone who has taken part in an Award is invited to share their memories on the digital scrapbook where Prince Edward told his latest story about Prince Philip.
