What is the King's 'harmony' prize and who took home the first award?
David Beckham and Sienna Miller were among the glamorous attendees at a prize-giving ceremony held at St James's Palace by King Charles.
On June 11, the King left the palace to attend the inaugural awards ceremony for the charity he founded as the Prince of Wales. The King's Foundation strives to build better communities where people, places, and the environment may coexist peacefully. The awards ceremony, which will take place every year, honours partners, educators, students, and alumni for their contributions to the organization's goals in a variety of fields.
Among those giving out honours were singer Sir Rod Stewart, gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh, TV hosts Sarah Beeny and Patrick Grant, chef Raymond Blanc, editor Edward Enninful, and model Naomi Campbell.
The King has welcomed a new category to the awards this year, known as the ‘harmony’ prizes.
What is the harmony prize and who took home the first-ever ward?
What are the King's harmony prizes?
These are meant to be yearly awards honouring traditional craft skills, sustainable approaches to business and a sense of harmony.
It is based on the King’s tenet that "we should work with nature, not against it".
The King is passionate about the causes supported by the King's Foundation awards. He has talked about the idea of humankind coexisting peacefully with nature.
Who took home the first-ever harmony prize?
South Korean diplomat and former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon became the first recipient of the King Charles III Harmony Award. The special award honours a person's sustained dedication to The King's Foundation's goals.
The former UN leader, Ki-moon, who led the organisation from 2007 to 2016, received recognition for her lifelong efforts to promote a "sustainable relationship between people, planet and place on a local and global scale".
During his speech, the King said: “I really am delighted to be here with you all at the inaugural King’s Foundation Awards and to present the first King Charles III Harmony Award.
“This award was created to recognise the individuals who champion the values which underpin the King’s Foundation’s mission and my own hope for a world in which we live in harmony with nature.”
Other awards
TV chef and food activist Jamie Oliver took home the "advocate of the year" prize.
One of the foundation's former pupils, Isabelle Pennington-Edmead, who runs her own sustainable fashion company, received a "young entrepreneur" award from movie star Miller.
The community initiative in Kingston, Jamaica; Octopus Energy; emerging artist Kadijah Dumbuya; and the "ambulance for monuments" programme in Romania, which restores ancient structures, were among the other winners.
