Prince William and Prince Harry continue to split their assets as Harry moves on from royal life. The two brothers have now taken the next step toward that division. William and Harry will now split the proceeds of Princess Diana's Memorial Fund.
The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established after Diana's tragic death in 1997. Although there haven't been any fundraising efforts for the fund in years, many estates and other organizations still contribute. The proceeds of those contributions were previously funneled into the Royal Foundation, which was established as a charitable entity for William and Harry and, subsequently, their wives.
William and Kate still retain the use of the Royal Foundation. Harry and Meghan stepped away as they separated from royal life. The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund will now be split between the Royal Foundation and a charitable organization that belongs to Harry, presumably Archewell.
In the past year, we've seen the gradual separation of Prince William and Prince Harry in all matters of business. Now they are splitting charity funds they get from their late mother's charity. The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established in 1997 after Diana's tragic death.
The Diana Fund hasn't been formally fundraising in some time. It still receives funds from various estates and legacies, however. It used to be funded by public donations and projects, like sales of Elton John's tribute version of "Candle in the Wind" performed at Diana's funeral.
Last year, the Royal Foundation received approximately $27,000 from The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The charity's annual report revealed that the proceeds of that fund will now be split, with half going to the Royal Foundation, which William and Kate continue to run. The other half was previously paying out to Sussex Royal.
The annual report indicates that "accordingly their share of the net income will instead be donated to another charity of The Duke of Sussex's choosing."
That share will be granted by the Royal Foundation. Presumably, that will be granted to Archewell, which Harry and Meghan have been working to make their primary charity vehicle.
Until Archewell is set up, Harry has instructed for funds to go to Sentebale. Sentebale is a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, Africa. The charity, inspired by Diana's work in HIV/AIDS, helps children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Africa lead happy, healthy lives.
Both William and Harry have had different ways of honoring and acknowledging Diana recently. William spoke about how he was touched by the pain of her death again in becoming a dad himself in a BBC documentary about mental health. He spoke of Diana during his conversation with former professional footballer Marvin Sordell.
"I agree with you, I think when you've been through something traumatic in life — and that is like you say your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger — your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it's a very different phase of life," he noted.
"And there's no one there to, kind of, help you, and I definitely found it very, at times, overwhelming."
Harry recently recorded a video for The Diana Awards, which honor extraordinary young people out to change the world.
"I am so incredibly proud to be part of these awards, as they honor the legacy of my mother and bring out the very best in people like you. You all are doing such incredible work, and at a time of great uncertainty, you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world. And I love that The Diana Award is able to help you do it," he said.
"I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you, and I can assure you she would have been fighting in your corner. Like many of you, she never took the easy route or the popular one or the comfortable one. But she stood for something, and she stood up for people who needed it," he continued.
"Right now, we are seeing situations around the world where division, isolation, and anger are dominating, as pain and trauma come to the surface. But I see the greatest hope in people like you, and I'm confident about the world's future and its ability to heal, because it is in your hands."
"My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to right the wrongs of the past. I, too, am sorry — sorry that we haven't got the world to a place you deserve it to be," he acknowledged.
"Institutional racism has no place in our societies, yet it is still endemic. Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you. I want you to know that we are committed to being part of the solution and to being part of the change that you are all leading. Now is the time, and we know that you can do it."
It's interesting to see the different ways that William and Harry have taken the legacy Diana left behind. Each of the men embodies their mother's special brand of magic in different ways. While their work may no longer be along the same lines, both still seem to share a goal: making their mother proud.
