Prince Harry to receive the Atlantic Council's 2012 Award for distinguished humanitarian leadership, Washington DC

Prince Harry has been awarded the Atlantic Council’s 2012 Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership in recognition of his charitable and humanitarian work supporting servicemen and women. The Prince will be presented the Award at the Atlantic Council’s annual Awards Dinner on 7th May in Washington, DC.

Prince Harry has chosen to accept the award on behalf of his brother The Duke of Cambridge, and their joint work through The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. Prince Harry will use the award to pay tribute to British and American veterans’ charities for their achievements in helping to rehabilitate wounded servicemen and women and to reintegrate those who have served in the Armed Forces into civilian life.

Before receiving the award, Prince Harry will attend a reception at the British Ambassador’s residence in Washington, to meet teams of British and American veteran athletes, who will have taken part in the Warrior Games in Colorado.

Notes to editors  Prince Harry has supported a number of charities that work in the field of rehabilitation of servicemen and women, including Walking with the Wounded, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Help for Heroes. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Service Nation: Mission Serve Hiring for Heroes event in California in July 2011.

In early 2012, The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry announced it will work in partnership with The Forces in Mind Trust to support British former military personnel and their families with the transition to civilian life.

The Atlantic Council is a non-partisan institution that has worked for over 50 years to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and international security. The Council has promoted constructive US and European leadership and engagement in international affairs, working with global partners to address crucial issues.

Each year the Atlantic Council recognizes leaders who represent the pillars of the transatlantic relationship: diplomacy, military, business, humanitarian and artistic achievement. During the Awards Dinner, The Atlantic Council will recognise the outstanding achievements of the following leaders:

•Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General, United Nations (Distinguished International Leadership Award);
•Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever (Distinguished Business Leadership Award);
•The enlisted men and women of the United States Armed Forces (Distinguished Military Leadership Award);
•Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin Virtuoso (Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award).
The Warrior Games was created in 2010 as an introduction to Paralympic sports for wounded, injured and sick Service members and veterans. More than 200 servicemen and women and veterans are expected to compete in seven sports in the 2012 event. The British team will compete in five sports: archery, cycling, swimming, track and field, and sitting volleyball. The British team are supported by the Battle Back programme, which is a Ministry of Defence-led initiative in partnership with, and funded by, Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion.

The British team – taking part in the Warrior Games for the first time this year – will comprise up to 20 athletes from the armed forces as well as staff from personnel recovery centres and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court. They will compete against American service members and veterans at the event, which runs from 30th April to 5th May in Colorado Springs, USA.