Hosted by The Duke as Patron of the DofE charity, Claire joined thousands of young people and their loved ones for a festival-style celebration in the Buckingham Palace Garden on Friday, May 9.
The celebration was one of four taking place over two days at the Palace, recognising over 8,000 young people who have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and resilience to complete their Gold DofE in schools, community organisations, youth groups and workplaces, all over the UK.
Claire, who did her DofE at Wolverhampton Girls' High School, was one of just a handful of young people to personally speak to The Duke following at the event.
For her Gold Skills section, Claire sang and learnt to play the guitar, for the Physical section she enjoyed wild swimming and for Volunteering, Claire wrote letters to cancer patients to help support them through their treatment.
During the exchange, Claire spoke to The Duke about how she was going to university in Edinburgh to study religion and classics, as well as how she did sailing as part of her DofE, saying “it was a great experience.”
Claire did her Volunteering section through the charity, From Me to You, which sends letters from volunteers to hospitals, cancer centres and partner charities across the UK. The letters, which offer emotional support whilst reducing the isolation and loneliness felt by cancer patients, have an immeasurable impact on those who receive them, the charity say.
Alison Hitchcock, Co-founder of From Me to You, said: “Patients have loved receiving Claire’s letters and she has really taken on-board the need to offer some distraction from cancer treatment, captivating them in her stories from the day and wonderful poetry. The impact she will have made with these letters is immeasurable; we get regular feedback from recipients who say that our letters brighten their days, offering a welcomed distraction and in some cases, provide a lifeline to a world outside of cancer.”
Buckingham Palace Garden had been transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting and garden games and activities. The celebration saw HRH The Duke of Edinburgh – who received his own Gold Award from his father Prince Philip at nearby St James’s Palace in 1986 – congratulate attendees in a speech from the Palace’s West Terrace.
Attendees also had the chance to hear from famous DofE Award holders and other inspiring speakers, with TV personality and chef Big Zuu, Olympic rower and Gold DofE Award holder Imogen Grant, SAS: Who Dares Wins star Jason Fox, The Traitors star Mollie Pearce and TV personality Dr Ranj Singh, speaking at stages throughout the garden.
Chelsea and England Women’s footballer, and Silver DofE Award holder, Hannah Hampton, delivered an inspiring speech from the West Terrace, just before Claire met HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Hannah said: “I am a sportswoman now, but that was not always the plan – or even the expectation. Having been born with a squint, undergoing numerous operations on my eyes, my parents were told I would not be able to be a fighter-pilot or brain surgeon, because I have no depth perception, so understandably I chose the next most appropriate career -professional footballer. More precisely, a goalkeeper.
“It would have been easy to accept my limitations. However, I never did like to take the easy path or be told what I could or could not do. In my heart and mind, I knew that I could prove them wrong and overcome their doubts. I learned something that all of you know deeply: Resilience isn’t just about being strong – it is about refusing to give up when things get tough.
“What you have done with this award is far more than a tick on your CV, or a certificate for your wall. You have trained your mind to believe that obstacles are not ‘stop signs’ – they are just detours on the way to something greater. As someone who was told ‘no’ but chose to find a ‘yes’, I want you to carry this with you, wherever life takes you next: you are capable of so much more than you know. Let this be a launch pad—not the finish line.”
A Gold DofE programme is a non-competitive personal challenge, open to all young people, which takes a minimum of 12 months to complete. Young people build their own programmes with activities in five sections – Physical, Skills, Volunteering, a five-day Residential and a four-day Expedition.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “It’s a real honour and a privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the Buckingham Palace Garden today. I’ve seen thousands of smiling faces and proud family members looking on – and rightfully so, as these young people have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and self-belief to be here. A Gold DofE Award will equip them with lifelong skills – and it’s wonderful to see our Award holders sharing their experiences, having fun, and discussing their plans for the future.
“Last year, over 342,000 young people started their DofE across the UK – the highest in our nearly 70 years of history. This shows just how much appetite there is amongst young people for enrichment opportunities beyond formal education. Together with our volunteers, partners and supporters, we want to reach 1.6 million young people by next spring - so that even more young people can take part in a life-changing DofE Award.”
The charity recently announced record-breaking participation numbers, with 572,802 young people actively taking part in 2024/25, 342,412 young people starting their DofE – and participants contributing an astonishing 5.2 million hours of volunteering as part of their DofE activities, equivalent to over £33 million in paid working hours.