Prince Harry Heaps Praise On Young Climate Activist Greta Thunberg: ‘The Whole World Is Paying Attention’

Prince Harry believes that even young people have the power to change the world! The Duke of Sussex spoke at the inaugural OnSide Awards event on Sunday, a ceremony to recognize young people who have greatly impacted their communities, many of whom had to overcome great hardship to do so.

And while he spoke about the importance of the youth impact as whole, the Prince made sure to give special praise to one extraordinary young woman: 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg.

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The Duke of Sussex attended the inaugural OnSide Awards at the @RoyalAlbertHall this evening, joining over 2,500 youth, volunteers and staff of @OnSideYZ. These awards celebrate the young people who have gone above and beyond for their communities, many of whom have overcome the most challenging of circumstances. With 13 Youth Zones around the UK and over 50,000 members, OnSide is making an incredible impact in some of the most deprived communities. During visits to OnSide Youth Zones earlier this year, The Duke and Duchess had the chance to witness the impact these facilities are having – providing local youth with a safe space where they can learn new skills, develop lasting friendships and be part of a shared and supportive community. #OnSideAwards Photo © PA / OnSide

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“OnSide is an organization that’s still young, but as everybody here knows, you should never underestimate the power and influence of youth,” the 35-year-old Prince began. “When Greta started her climate change protest she was just 15 years old—one voice, with just one placard, sitting on her own outside the Swedish parliament.”

“She may have been just one person at the beginning, but she had a belief, a mission, and a desire to do something not just for herself but for everyone, and now—the whole world is paying attention,” Harry said.

As Prince Harry said, Greta Thunberg was a 15 year old Swedish high school student in 2018 when she gained international notoriety for skipping school in order to protest outside of the Swedish parliament to advocate for action on global. More and more students began organizing similar protests in their communities, now referring to the movement as “Fridays for Future.”

Greta was not in attendance at the OnSide awards—she travels internationally solely by boat due to the high carbon footprint of air travel, and was onboard her sailboat “La Vagabonde” en route to Europe from the United States.

Still, that didn’t stop the Prince from encouraging his young audience to emulate the young activist. “Every country, every community, every school, every friendship group, every family needs their own Greta,” the Prince implored.

The Prince spoke to a group of about 2,500 young people. Earlier in the year, Price Harry and his wife Meghan Markle visited the organization’s ‘Youth Zones,’ locations that provide local young people with a place where they can learn new skills and be a part of a safe community.

The speaking engagement may be the last for the Prince before he takes a break from royal duties to spend the holidays with his wife and young son Archie, according to reports from Harper’s Bazaar.