Prince William and Prince Harry congratulate winners of the Diana Award in separate messages

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex have issued separate messages of congratulations to the winners of the Diana Award in the charity's 25th year.

But Prince William and Prince Harry chose not to come together for the anniversary nor reference each other in their messages to the award recipients.

The Diana Award was founded in 1999 and was one of the first organisations to be created in memory of the late royal, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 aged 36.

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It aims to create positive change for young people through four key programs: a mentoring scheme for those at risk; an anti-bullying campaign; a collaborative "changemakers" program that "aims to reimagine mental health support for young people from racialised communities"; and a prestigious award that recognises young change makers.

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In 2017, a legacy award was created to mark the 20th anniversary of Diana's death. The award is the charity's highest honour and is presented to winners during a ceremony held every two years.

In March, Prince William presented the awards to the winners in person at a ceremony in London while Prince Harry congratulated them in a video call.

Prince William had left the event by the time Harry called in via video link.

Prince Harry later met the two winners, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang and Christina Williams, in September in New York.

Now, the brothers have congratulated the winners in separate messages.

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Prince William wrote: "I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you."

"In this special 25th anniversary year for the Diana Award, it is wonderful to see young people from across the globe being recognised."

"At times, the world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place and I know many of you have had to work hard to overcome barriers to make positive change. Despite this, I am heartened to see what inspirational young people like you can achieve," he said.

Prince Harry congratulated the winners via a recorded video call: "My mother's belief in the power of young people to drive positive change continues to inspire me.

"No matter the challenges we face, whether it's climate change, mental health or systemic injustices, her legacy and the efforts of young people to inspire further action in the world fill me with hope."

"The passion you both bring to bear in pursuing equality, justice and access to education for young people is nothing short of remarkable," he continued.

The awards will be streamed on YouTube later today.

The charity's chief executive Dr Tessy Ojo said: "We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and across the world who are inspiring change for their generation."

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"This event is special as it marks our 25th anniversary year and our most competitive year yet with record nominations," Ojo said.

"This new cohort of Diana Award recipients demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana, Princess of Wales."

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