On meeting HRH Prince William - #2021LegacyAwards

A grey cloudy morning lit up into a brighter, sunnier day on Wednesday – a sign foreshadowing what was to come of the day. For the last few months, I had known that I was one of only 20 changemakers from all the Diana Award winners of 2020 and 2021 to receive an incredible privilege – the Diana Legacy Award. The Diana Award had been such an incredible honour with only the select few chosen from thousands of nominations, so this was incomprehensible.

How did I discover this news? On a voicemail, because as with any great news I get, I was out on a run and missed the call from the award team!

Slowly, we were informed of the magnitude and what was in store for us. Up till now, we were under a strict embargo and had no idea who the other 19 were. On the 1st, the UK winners were invited to the Kensington Palace to meet a ‘special guest’. With their support of this award in the past, it didn’t take much deduction to guess as to who this could be. But it was still an unbelievable moment that morning to find out that we were indeed going to have a chance to meet the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.

That morning allowed us to finally meet our fellow award winners and learn about each other’s work over afternoon tea at Kensington Pavilion – an elegant room on the edges of the sunken gardens and with Hyde Park and the Palace in the vista.

Here, we were also briefed about palace protocols. To be addressed as His Royal Highness in the first instance and then His Excellency following that. Bowing and curtseying. Only speak when spoken to. Strictly no photographs.

After going through security, we were directed to the private apartments at the palace and taken to a room that overlooked a courtyard and was tastefully decorated. On offer were chocolate and lemon drizzle cakes that had apparently been baked that very morning at Buckingham Palace. Were we nervous? Tingling with excitement? Unsure if this was really happening? Yes, yes and yes.

We were arranged in groups of three associated with the broad themes we were working on: advocacy, mental wellbeing and education. Behind us, When the Duke finally did enter, there was a hush, a little surprise of his height and the question running through my head: is this for real?

He slowly moved through the room, speaking to each winner, and learning about their work. Slowly but surely, it was my turn and as soon as I’d said my name, he said ‘You’re ZNotes aren’t you?’.

It had to start with the most important question – is it ‘Zee’ Notes or ‘Zed’ Notes. Apologies Your Royal Highness but that is where my Americanism is still alive. A moment captured perfectly by the photographers.

I think what made me feel the best about that interaction was the depth and perceptiveness of his question. Hearing versus listening. And there is no doubt he listened and resonated and empathised – his questions reflected that.

The Palace released a short snippet of my conversation with him!

After meeting us all, I broke the rules and put my hand up, requesting to ask him a question. And this is what I asked:

Many of us in the room are working towards some of the biggest problems our society faces, and our work is integral to the impact of so many and so deeply. But leading these initiatives and efforts are also immense responsibilities. Tomorrow if I decide that I no longer want to continue with ZNotes, it will impact my team of 40, my contributors in hundreds and the tens of thousands of students who are using our platform every single day. And all this responsibility at a relatively young age. But you were born into this role of unmatched social responsibility and civic duty. How do you deal with it? Not just physically but also mentally – how do you carry that burden on your shoulders?

It is easy to forget with figures with such a high public profile that they are humans too. And in his answer, the Prince reminded us of it. To paraphrase some of the ideas he drew upon.

Things take time

Addressing problems of such magnitude, we want to see results immediately. We want to be impacting people as soon as possible. But at the end of the day, things take time. Certain activities and interventions simply take longer periods of time for effects to be seen and

Build a team around you

You probably started your project on your own. And many of you may still be working on your project mainly by yourself. But it is very important to have people around to serve as your support system. Whether they are engaged on a day-to-day basis or just have conversations spontaneously. The people who believe in you and your mission are crucial, especially on the days when things aren’t working out exactly as planned.

Be kind to yourself

It’s hard and there are days when you don’t want to continue. It is then that you must reflect, consider all that your efforts have achieved – whether small or big – and be kind to yourself. Have fun and find things that bring joy to your life. It may seem that you are not contributing towards your mission but your wellbeing and happiness play such an important role in your work – often leading to more productivity and progress.

With the skies clear, we head outside the apartments to take a group photo. We asked him how he practised self-care and he shared that over the lockdown, he’d become quite invested in football and really enjoyed taking time off to watch a match. In fact, he was heading to a game later that night! And with that, our day came to an end, and we were left a little hazed but happy.

When I think of Diana, a memory fills me so vividly. I am in Year 5 and reaching the final levels of key-stage reading. The next book on my reading record was titled "Diana: Princess of Wales". And in the pages, there was the poignant photo of her shaking the hands of an AIDS patient without a pair of gloves. A handful of pages I read years ago and yet her story has been interwoven in mine and so many lives.

I choose to see the world in its brightest colours and beauty. It does not do to dwell on the murkiness and controversies. Beyond titles, I am grateful for the opportunity to have met someone who has been through so much and who has shared the story of his mother to the world for us to be inspired and empowered by.