Prince Harry crashes NYC panel with jokes about his age

Prince Harry made a surprise, unannounced appearance at a Diana Award panel in New York City on Wednesday to speak on preparing young mind for the future of work and also cracked some jokes about getting older.

"People were so shocked when he walked in," People Magazine quoted Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award. "He was on great form and very chilled. He made the young people feel at ease."

Ojo said Harry, 42, kept the mood light early on, joking about being "not a spring chicken" compared to the younger attendees.

“Everyone was saying he was so funny. He cracked jokes on the panel,” Ojo recalled. “He spoke about being 42 and not a spring chicken like the young people.”

The appearance was one stop in a packed two-day visit to New York, where Prince Harry attended multiple events tied to causes he's long championed, including youth empowerment, mental health, and conservation.

Beyond the humour, The Duke of Sussex also brought weight to more personal moments in the conversation. When panelist Robbie Neumann opened up about his own mental health, Prince Harry responded, "Robbie, just you saying what you've shared in a room full of people, you've given people permission to share, too."

The panel, hosted by The Diana Award and ServiceNow, focused on how technology and AI are reshaping early career paths for young people.

Ojo credited Prince Harry with playing a key role in The Diana Award's partnership with ServiceNow, which has already trained 100 young people across Africa as AI engineers. "We know young people who are changemakers," Ojo said. "Imagine if we train them as AI engineers — they are the ones that will use AI in a good way to tackle inequalities."