Prince Harry and Prince William were both patrons of the Henry van Staubenzee Memorial Fund, which was set up following the death of their friend at the age of 18 in 2002
A charity said to be one of the last bonds between Prince Harry and Prince William has called time on the organisation.
It’s said the brothers were “united by tragedy” as the van Straubenzees, set up a fund for children in Uganda. The charity was set up in memory of the family’s middle son Henry, who was killed in a car crash in 2002 aged 18. The Henry van Staubenzee Memorial Fund (HvSMF) was set up in 2007 to fight poverty in Uganda through education and both the Waleses and the Sussexes were patrons.
However, the only charity to have William and Harry’s joint patronage is now in the process of wrapping up. They have been patrons since 2009.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.
READ MORE: Prince Harry’s close pal shares hopes for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to ‘follow father’s footsteps’
The Sunday Times reports the family’s decision to bring an end to their charity came after their final trip to the country in February, saying they felt they had put all the energy they could into it. Henry’s mum Claire said: “It feels right to quit while we’re ahead.”
According to the charity’s official website, it has been helping over 35,000 children in the country every year, with 51 schools having been supported. It initially started started off as a one-off £3,000 donation.
It’s said the van Staubenzee children – Thomas, Henry and Charlie, were like family to Harry and William after they all attended the Ludgrove prep school in Berkshire together. The princes even went on holiday to Cornwall with the family as youngsters.
Thomas, now 41, and Charlie, now 35, were both ushers at Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018, with Charlie giving a speech at the wedding reception. Thomas also gave a speech at the 2011 wedding of William and Princess Kate.
Despite William and Harry having a strained relationship of late, the issued a joint statement in 2022 to mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Henner’s’ death. It’s thought that the statement was their last together and read at the time of “the van family who we all love and adore”. They called the family’s achievements “nothing short of extraordinary” and said “Henry’s legacy will live on through the incredible achievements of what his mum and dad have accomplished over the years”.
* Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
