Prince Harry attended a dinner this week for The American Friends of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
The Prince proved a draw to Sean Lennon, son of Beatle John Lennon, The Voice judge will.i.am, writer John McInerney, who penned Bright Lights Big City, and his socialite and philanthropist wife Anne Hearst McInerney, the granddaughter of newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst.
Speaking about Prince Harry, Sean Lennon said: “It’s great that he is here. He seems to be really enjoying it. But it seems as if the whole city is running around trying to spot him, so I hope he doesn’t think New York is always like this. He is well loved here.”
And will.i.am said: "I am a fan of how Queen Elizabeth raised her children and how they have raised their children.
“I am a great admirer of Prince Charles and his charity work and I think it is incredible Harry has made it part of his legacy to carry this on. He doesn’t have to do what he does, so I applaud him.”
The Black Eyed Peas star and producer met The Prince after last year’s Diamond Jubilee concert at which he performed.
He added: "He’s a party prince, a soldier and a philanthropist. He’s a regular guy. If Harry was a movie character he would be Iron Man.
“I grew up watching documentaries about the Royal Family so I am really pleased to be meeting him.”
The Prime Minister, on a separate official visit to America, attended the dinner after teaming up with Prince Harry earlier yesterday at an event in Manhattan promoting British innovation and technology.
The American Friends of the Royal Foundation will also provide some funding to the New York based Harlem RBI Prince Harry played baseball at yesterday, so it can expand its coaching to inner city youngsters.
The Friends were congratulated for the money they are providing to Harlem RBI in a foreword Prince Harry wrote for the fundraising evening.
The Royal Foundation is a charitable organisation set up by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to channel their philanthropic activities. They concentrate their efforts in three main areas; veterans and military affairs, conservation and sustainable development and children and young people.
In his speech The Prince paid tribute to his Foundation’s US arm. He said: “Thank you, from William, Catherine and me. You are such an important part of our Foundation family.”
He added: "Almost a year ago – on the day before the London Olympics – The Royal Foundation launched Coach Core. This flagship initiative seeks to mentor and train our next generation of truly inspirational young sports coaches.
“The aim is that they, themselves, will then become mentors and role models to their peers and further generations over the years ahead.
“We now have pilot schemes running in London and Glasgow in Scotland – and I am delighted to announce that funds raised this evening will support a similar programme to be run in partnership with Harlem RBI here in New York, and potentially others like it.
“It is exciting that Harlem RBI’s Project Coach and our Coach Core will be linked in this way, sharing experience and lessons learned to provide opportunity and inspiration to disadvantaged young people here and back home in Britain.
“I visited the project in Harlem this afternoon, and met many of these young people whose lives are being changed through the power of sport.
“As they learn and grow under the careful guidance of Harlem RBI, they represent living proof of what can be achieved. It was truly uplifting.
“So, sport and coaching really does change lives.”
He then introduced two young men – one British and one from the US – who had become coaches for them to tell their own stories. Prince Harry’s seven day tour of the America ends today when he plays in the Sentebale Polo cup in Greenwich, Connecticut in aid of his Africa based charity Sentebale, which supports orphans in Lesotho.
Source: PrinceHenryOfWales.org
