Prince Charles believes the COVID-19 pandemic has made the lives of teenagers "infinitely worse".
Prince Charles thinks the pandemic was damaging for teenagers
The 73-year-old royal told of how the "dreadful" health crisis stopped young people interacting with their friends, had them "cut off from confidence-building challenges" and "denied" them the "social experiences" other generations had taken for granted, so called on the nation to “believe in our young people so they can start believing in themselves” .
In a speech at the Prince's Trust Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, he said: “We are here today in the wake, of course, of a dreadful pandemic which has affected education, employment, families and childhoods.
“We still do not know the extent of the disruption in the long term, but we do know that many are still experiencing isolation and loneliness, and that more young people across the world are growing up fearful of the future.
“Listening to young people, I know the journey from childhood to adulthood, from school to work, can be an anxious and turbulent time, even for those in the most fortunate of circumstances.
“But the pitfalls of this journey have been made infinitely worse for so many today – separated from their school friends, cut off from confidence-building challenges and denied the social experiences that we all took for granted.”
This year's awards will be broadcast on TV for the first time, airing on ITV on Thursday (26.05.22) and Charles joked about how he could become “a commercial break without realising” in the final cut.
The ceremony was hosted by 'Saturday Night Takeaway' stars Ant and Dec for the tenth time and the duo joked Charles always looks disappointed when he sees them and says "Oh no, not you two again."
Dec quipped: “Classic HRH bantz.”
And when the prince came on stage, he joked: “Welcome to the Ant and Dec Tuesday afternoon takeaway."
Charles "never fails to be moved" by the way each of the young award winners have "overcome the most daunting obstacles”.
He added: “I cannot tell you how proud it makes me of all of them.”
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