Prince Harry joins May for opening of the Commonwealth Youth Forum

Prince Harry joins May for opening of the Commonwealth Youth Forum



Prince Harry has used his first speech as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador to gush about his fiancee Meghan Markle - saying he is 'incredibly grateful' she will be by his side.



The smitten 33-year-old royal revealed on Monday that 'the woman I'm about to marry' was 'hugely excited' to be joining him in his work for the role - which was met by cheers from the crowd at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.



The prince's comments came as he helped open the Youth Forum, which launched the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) week, with a speech, and told the young delegates 'it is you who are going to change the world'.



During his speech, Harry got cheers and whoops from the audience when he mentioned his bride-to-be, who will join him on Wednesday at a Commonwealth Youth Forum reception.



The US former actress and Harry have already expressed their interest in the Commonwealth and it is widely anticipated they will go on a Commonwealth tour after their May 19 wedding





The prince was joined by Theresa May at the event - just days after it was revealed the Prime Minister joins Donald Trump and the Obamas on the list of people who won't be attending the royal wedding on May 19.



His first duties in his new role included a round table event at the opening session of the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London. 



Although Prince Harry was without former Suits actress Meghan, 36, for the engagement, it seems she was there in spirit.





In his speech, Harry said: 'I am also incredibly grateful that the woman I am about to marry, Meghan, will be joining me in this work, of which she too is hugely excited to take part in,' he added, before pausing to grin at the cheering audience.         



He added: 'In my new role, I will work to support The Queen, my father The Prince of Wales, and my brother William, all of whom know that young people are the answer to the challenges of today.



Harry said he looked for inspiration for his new role from his grandmother the Queen and he highlighted her famous speech from 1947 where she pledged her life to the Commonwealth.



He said: 'On the day of her 21st birthday, the then Princess Elizabeth gave an extraordinary radio address from Cape Town.



'With an eye on the future, and an already unflinching sense of duty, she made a commitment. She said that whether her life be long or short, it would be dedicated to the service of the people of the Commonwealth.



All of us here today can be grateful that it is a long life the Queen is still enjoying. Her Majesty's commitment has meant that the Commonwealth is a thriving family of nations, a common link between nearly two-and-a-half billion people, and a defender of democracy, justice and peace.' 



In the new role, Harry will highlight and support the work and aspirations of young people across the Commonwealth.



He will work to create links between young people and youth leaders and encourage them to use Commonwealth platforms to address the social, economic and environmental challenges of their generation.



The forum provides an opportunity for the young people to build networks, debate the challenges they face, and agree youth-led initiatives to influence decision makers and ensure young people have a voice in its future.



It comes as no surprise that Meghan is 'excited' to be joining her husband-to-be in his work having championed her own causes before meeting the prince.



Meghan became an advocate for women when she was 11, and achieving gender equality remains a driving force for the self-described 'feminist.'



Since 2014, the American actress has helped put a global spotlight on the need for equality between women and men as an 'Advocate for Political Participation and Leadership' for the women's agency of the United Nations.



Upon his arrival the prince was greeted by Prime Minister Theresa May who is also attending the forum today.



The PM and the prince spent time meeting the young people that the royal hopes to inspire in his new role.



Speaking at the round table discussion Harry said: It's really important that these voices are heard.'



He went on to say that it was 'crucial' to listen to young people before going on to describe his excitement for the project. 



The Prime Minister acknowledged that young people had helped set part of the agenda for the week with the environment and youth unemployment due to be discussed.





Sat around a table with Harry and the young delegates Mrs May told them: 'It's great that this week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is being kicked off by the Youth Forum because as you say, I wanted to make sure that youth, young people were the priority for this week's meetings.