Prince William will award an MBE to the mother of Prince Harry’s best childhood friend who died in a car crash aged 18, at a ceremony at Windsor Castle tomorrow.
The Prince of Wales will lead the morning investiture honoring Claire van Straubenzee, 69, for her services to the education of children in Uganda.
His son Henry van Straubenzee died in an accident while traveling as a passenger during an overnight journey in 2002 on the grounds of Ludgrove School in Berkshire.
Five years later, his family created the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund for children in Uganda, initially at the school where Henry had been appointed to teach.
In 2009, William and Harry became joint patrons of the charity which has now helped more than 35,000 children in 1,800 projects in 51 schools across the country.
Claire van Straubenzee and her husband Alex at St Michael’s Church in Alnwick in June 2013
Princes Harry and William with guests at the launch of the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund at the Troubadour Club in London on January 8, 2009.
Harry receives a kiss from Claire van Straubenzee at the launch of Henry’s charity in 2009.
Mrs Van Straubenzee was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honors list, and is expected to be joined at Windsor Castle tomorrow by her husband Alex, 73, and two other sons, Thomas and Charlie, the newspaper reported. Daily Telegraph.
Henry van Straubenzee died aged 18 in an accident in Berkshire in 2002.
Harry is not expected to join them at the ceremony, even though he is in London tomorrow for an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Duke wrote about his time together with ‘Henners’ at Ludgrove School in his memoirs Spare, saying: ‘Skinny, muscleless and with his hair standing up in permanent surrender, Henners was all heart. Every time he smiled, people melted.”
Harry also claimed that Henry was the only child who asked him about his mother, Princess Diana, after her death in a car accident in Paris in 1997.
In December 2022, William and Harry joined forces in a rare show of unity to release a statement in memory of Henry on the 20th anniversary of his death.
A joint letter written for a carol concert for the memorial fund at St Luke’s Church in Chelsea included both brothers’ names and paid tribute to “Henners”, using “we” and “us”. The charity will close at the end of this year.
Prince William with his best friend Thomas van Straubenzee at a polo match at Ascot in 2014
Charlie van Straubenzee and Thomas van Straubenzee attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018.
Prince William with Thomas van Straubenzee at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2013
Both Harry and William attended Henry’s funeral and still remain close to Thomas, now 41, and Charlie, now 35.
They were both ushers at Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in May 2018, and Charlie spoke at the reception.
Harry is also godfather to Charlie’s four-year-old daughter Clover; while Charlie is the godfather of Prince Archie, who turned five yesterday.
Thomas is the godfather of Princess Charlotte and William is the godfather of Thomas’ three-year-old daughter Mary. Thomas also spoke at William’s wedding in 2011.