At the start of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award (DofE), the vision of Prince Philip and experiential educator Kurt Hahn was to empower British boys, to encourage a passion for their hobbies and to awaken a need to help. It didn't take long for the program that the Prince and Hahn founded to open up to girls. A few years later, Prince Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward, successfully completed the gold level and became one of the participants.
His Royal Highness, the newly appointed Duke of Edinburgh began his gold standard at Gordonstoun High School and completed it while studying at Cambridge. He completed his final expedition in Scotland, walking an incredible 60 miles. It is something of an exaggeration to say that Prince Edward's DofE expedition is still going strong, as he has taken over the official patronage of the whole programme from his father. "It's another challenge in my life, I often hear from people that I have the Duke of Edinburgh International Award in my DNA. It has definitely been a part of my life for a long time. Being asked to take over the role of Patron from my father is an honour and a great responsibility. Above all, I hope that the prize my father bestowed his title on and those who have achieved it, as well as those who support it, will continue to enjoy the recognition they so richly deserve," said Prince Edward on his new appointment.
The Duke thus becomes the patron saint of thousands of young people who have decided to go against the odds and face an uncertain future despite life's uncertainties. Prince Edward said the current young generation has been hardest hit by the covid pandemic and has struggled with the consequences of the loss of education.
Under the auspices of Prince Edward, the DofE continues its work to give as many young people as possible the chance to win life-changing awards. The DofE is gradually expanding its reach internationally, even into the poorest areas of the world. Under the Prince's leadership, it will continue to strive to remove barriers for all young people without distinction, including those with special educational needs or disabilities.
