Prince William Honors Anti-Bullying Campaigner Who Helps Lead Charity Named for Princess Diana

The work being done by a top charity campaigner in the name of the late Princess Diana was recognized by her son Prince William.

Lifelong anti-bullying campaigner Alex Holmes, 36, was honored for his work on behalf of young people and received his OBE at Windsor Castle from the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony on March 18.

Holmes is the deputy CEO of the Diana Award charity and founded its anti-bullying initiative for use in schools. He was awarded the honor in King Charles’ list that was published on Jan. 1 this year.

In a photo collage shared on the official Instagram page for William and Kate Middleton, an image showed the Prince of Wales smiling as he gave Holmes the honor.

Holmes called it a “huge honor” to get the award.

“It was particularly poignant to be awarded by the Prince of Wales, who I’ve worked with at the Diana Award, set up in memory of his mother, for many years,” he said in a statement.

His peer-to-peer Anti-Bullying Ambassadors program at the charity coordinates a network of trained young people dedicated to preventing all types of bullying particularly in schools.

But it began even earlier for Holmes, who founded it at 16 after he experienced racist and homophobic bullying then witnessed the impact this can have on young minds and their mental health. He won an early Diana Award for his work tackling bullying.

Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO, The Diana Award added in a statement, “Alex’s pioneering leadership and passionate commitment to young people has been immense. He is an inspiration to so many young people at The Diana Award who have been impacted by his work.”  

The Diana Award is the only charity that carries the name of the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, and both brothers support it when they can. In 2024, during the organization’s 25th anniversary, William spoke at the charity's Legacy Awards dinner in London and met the latest cohort of awardees. Later, Harry called into the meeting to talk to them virtually.

As part of his public work, William took part in a fun day of activities highlighting diversity and differences, partly run by Holmes, in December 2015.

A Queen’s Young Leader, Holmes also has a place on the committee set up to create a fitting and suitable memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth.

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He is also a recipient of The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and sat on The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Advisory Board, helping spearhead their Sustainable Development Goals Goalkeeper program.