Diana Legacy Award winner reveals how ceremony lasted SEVEN HOURS

A winner of a Diana Legacy Award has advised how the competing calls for of warring Princes William and Harry turned the ceremony right into a ‘surreal’ marathon held at two completely different venues over seven hours that did not end till 1am.

Yusuf Ben-Tarifite was one in every of 20 younger leaders and position fashions who acquired prestigious awards in reminiscence of Princess Diana who was shunted backwards and forwards and, by the point Harry lastly appeared by way of video hyperlink it was gone midnight – hours after his brother had completed his look in individual and left.

Yusuf, 23, advised how the winners ended up being congratulated by the estranged brothers some 4 hours aside and needed to journey throughout London to take action.

While the Prince of Wales handed out awards in the course of the glittering ceremony on the Science Museum in Kensington, the winners needed to return to their resort practically 5 miles away for the video name with Prince Harry.

It was after midnight earlier than the decision occurred with winners sat round a video display arrange in a convention room on the Hilton Hotel close to London’s Waterloo Station.

Insiders advised how Harry’s look 5,000 miles away from his California house posed ‘a logistical nightmare’.

Yusuf, 23, who campaigns for higher entry to medical careers, mentioned he was flattered to obtain an award – however described the proceedings as ‘surreal’.

He advised how he arrived on the museum at 5.30pm after travelling down from Oxford the place he’s learning to be a junior physician.

Prince William started handing out the awards at round 7.30pm earlier than leaving at 8.15pm.

The black tie ceremony completed round 9pm with friends making their method again to the Hilton and arriving at round 11.30pm.

Describing how the night unfolded Yusuf, who attended the ceremony together with his mom, advised MailOnline: ‘The Prince William factor was in individual on the museum. The bit with Prince Harry was at a very completely different venue.

‘The complete factor went on from round 5.30pm till going into 1am.

‘After the ceremony ended, we went to a resort and it was completed via a video hyperlink.

‘It was really a shock for us that they saved secret. We knew beforehand that one thing was taking place later within the night so we needed to preserve our diaries free for that.

‘We came upon within the late afternoon that we knew we had been going to be talking to Prince Harry in some form or kind however we did not know precisely what was going to occur.

‘It was on the resort we had been staying at. There had been so many shifting elements within the logistics of it nevertheless it was nicely organised and went very easily.’

Yusuf gained a Diana Award final yr after establishing the Aspiring Medics programme which helps college students from various backgrounds pursue careers in medication.

Yusuf began off the undertaking as a day membership for Year 12 college students on the Richard Hale School in Hertford.

The pupil, who comes from a working class household, went on to launch the undertaking nationwide simply days earlier than beginning his research at Oxford University in 2018.

Yusuf advised how he was ‘thrilled’ after he was handed a second award by Prince William throughout Thursday night’s ceremony.

He was one in every of 20 winners from throughout the globe to be introduced with a legacy honour marking The Diana Award’s twenty fifth anniversary.

Yusuf, from Hertford, declined to remark concerning the rift within the Royal household and insisted he had no complaints concerning the protracted nature of the ceremony.

He mentioned: ‘I simply really feel tremendous privileged to have acquired the award. I’m so humble and grateful for it.

‘The method it did pan out made it extra of a novel expertise. It was sort of magical in a method – there was one thing occurring at midnight. It’s like a Cinderella story proper there.’

Yusuf advised how he arrived on the Hilton Hotel – the place all of the winners had been staying – at round 3.30pm.

After preparing for the occasion he bought a taxi to the museum arriving at 5.30pm.

Describing the night he mentioned: ‘You get to satisfy all of your different fellow winners. It’s a beautiful night. You get to ask your friends so I had my pretty mum over as nicely for this ceremony.

‘Prince William introduced the award and also you get to satisfy him. He shakes your hand. You trade just a few strains with one another and get a photograph with him as nicely. It was such a particular second. You kind of really feel starstruck actually.

‘He simply requested how I used to be capable of handle all of it actually. He was speaking about time administration and retaining it going whereas being a junior physician as nicely.

‘I believe he was most eager about balancing that alongside medical faculty. He was additionally very encouraging.

‘There was a dinner and after that we went again to the resort the place we had the video name as a bunch with Prince Harry.

‘He was usually giving encouraging recommendation and mentioned he was pleased with all of us to have the ability to proceed on together with his mom’s legacy.

‘It was sort of good doing it collectively. We had been capable of communicate to him and ask him questions.

‘That occurred at midnight. It was a extremely lengthy day however all the things appeared to occur actually shortly over the span of some hours. It was so surreal.

‘It genuinely was so magical. You had been assembly folks from throughout the globe, there have been award winners from each continent. It was awe-inspiring seeing what everybody was as much as.

‘It’s actually uncommon to have the ability to take a step again and pause and replicate. I believe that is what yesterday night gave everybody together with myself the chance to do.’

He mentioned of receiving the honour: ‘I went to a state faculty. I come from a working class background. None of my household went into medication. I used to be tremendous privileged to obtain that provide from Oxford University.

‘Every day I’m so grateful to be right here. It’s a case of with the ability to give again and assist different folks from the same background.

‘Growing up in that background means you have got a greater understanding of the inspiration hole, the abilities hole and the data hole and that locations you in a extremely good place to have the ability to give again.

‘It got here from my very own private challenges and tribulations and struggles. Applying for medication, you have got all types of various hoops to leap via. That’s the kind of factor we got down to change – when it comes to serving to with work expertise, entry exams and likewise interviews.

‘Many colleges are capable of put together youngsters for interviews however many college students haven’t got that and that’s additionally one thing we’re capable of assist our college students with.

‘The Diana Legacy Award may be very, very particular within the sense that you’ve got this in-person bodily ceremony and also you get the chance to satisfy Prince William and Prince Harry.

‘It’s a tremendous prestigious prize that will get you that recognition after which supercharges partnerships additional. The Diana Award allowed us to get our first partnership with an NHS belief and now we’re working with 5 NHS trusts so it actually does make an unbelievable distinction.’