Prince Harry Makes First Public Appearance After Explosive BBC Interview

• Prince Harry is in Las Vegas attending a conference in support of his late mother’s charity, the Diana Award
• He was joined at the event by Diana Award CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo, and it marked the prince’s first public appearance since he gave an explosive interview following the loss of his legal appeal to restore his security in the U.K.
• May 6 also marked Harry’s son Prince Archie’s sixth birthday, as well as the second anniversary of the coronation of his father, King Charles

Prince Harry is in Las Vegas to support the only charity established in memory of his mother, Princess Diana.

The event supporting the Diana Award marks his first public appearance since giving a bombshell interview about losing his legal appeal to restore his security in the U.K.

On May 6, the Duke of Sussex, 40, stepped out in Las Vegas to attend ServiceNow’s Knowledge 2025 conference. PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that he would join Diana Award CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo at the summit to launch the charity’s pledge to Invest initiative, a campaign encouraging businesses to invest in the next generation of youth leadership.

At the event, Harry took part in a discussion hosted by two Diana Legacy Award recipients — Sikander ‘Sonny’ Khan, from Michigan, and Christina Williams from Jamaica. The conversation focused on youth leadership and how employers can proactively create pathways for young people to enter and thrive in the workplace.

“Through the Diana Award, I’ve had the privilege of meeting young people who have turned adversity into action. That’s not just inspiring — it’s the kind of untapped potential we can’t afford to overlook,” Harry said. “Far too many young people are locked out of leadership pipelines because we’ve failed to build truly inclusive and accessible pathways.”   

He added, “This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead — they are already doing it. They bring emotional intelligence, social awareness, and an honesty about mental health that previous generations struggled to express. What sets them apart isn’t just their boldness, but their refusal to settle for the status quo.” 

Turning to the two Legacy Award winners and panellists, Harry said, “Every single young person has potential. From a younger generation standpoint, in an apathetic world, there’s more empathy in this generation than I’ve ever seen before. When they stand up for themselves and stand up in their communities, that is what we need. We need fearless leadership. So I tip my hat to both of you and what you represent.” 

The Diana Award was founded in 1999, inspired by Princess Diana’s faith that young people have the power to change the world. It doubles as one of the only charities that her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, both still support following the Duke of Sussex’s step back from his royal role in the U.K. in 2020.

May 6 is also a meaningful day on the royal calendar, as it marks Prince Archie‘s 6th birthday (which Meghan Markle marked with a new photo on Instagram) and the second anniversary of King Charles‘ coronation. 

Last week, a British judge dismissed Prince Harry’s legal appeal to reinstate his automatic, state-funded security while in his home country, the latest twist in a case Harry has long been fighting.

The Duke of Sussex’s legal team has described this legal battle as a fight for his life, and he bared all to the BBC in an interview that aired later in the day on May 2.

“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he said in a searing revelation about the idea of traveling back without the security protection. The Duke of Sussex and his wife share son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3.

“They’re going to miss is, well, everything,” he added about his kids, whom he and Meghan are raising in California. “I love my country. I always have done. Despite what some people in that country have done.”

Harry added, “I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do,” adding, “I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”

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The stripping of security is said to have exacerbated the fractures amid a strained relationship between Harry and King Charles. The Duke of Sussex’s legal team maintains that the courts failed to properly assess the risks posed to him and his family in the U.K. Because the King is ceremonial head of state, Harry has suggested that his father could help restore the security he is fighting for, an idea the palace denies.

“All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion,” a palace spokesperson said on Friday.