The British School New Delhi welcomed The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Prince Edward, on Monday, 3 February 2025. His Royal Highness visited the school as patron of The International Award for Young People (IAYP), part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation. Instituted in 1956, the awards aim to help young people develop key life skills and achieve their full growth potential. HRH Prince Edward has played a leadership role in the award’s development for four decades.
The school Director, Vanita Uppal OBE, presents HRH Prince Edward with a special memento of his late father HRH Prince Philip’s visit to The British School in 1983
Students from schools across India were invited to The British School New Delhi to present their IAYP projects to His Royal Highness. The Duke enjoyed interacting with students and seeing firsthand the positive impact they have made on the wider community through their IAYP work. HRH also enjoyed the music and dance performances by students of The British School New Delhi.
Vanita Uppal OBE, Director of The British School, commented, ”It is my honour and privilege to welcome His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, to The British School to celebrate the programme he has championed for four decades. The British School adopted the awards in 2007 and over the years I have watched countless students undertake projects that combine service, learning and leadership as part of the programme. Having His Royal Highness hear directly from students their stories, their journey and the impact they have made was very special indeed.”
According to Kapil Bhalla, National Director of the International Award for Young People, India, ”We are honoured to have His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, witness firsthand the transformative power of the Award in India at The British School in Delhi. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award inspires young people to challenge themselves, serve their communities, and develop skills that last a lifetime. Hearing young people share their experiences with His Royal Highness highlights the profound impact of The Award Programme, and we remain committed to ensuring more young people across India have access to this life-changing opportunity. The Award is open to all young people, and we encourage them to take the challenge, develop new skills, and become #WorldReady.”
IAYP has been active in India since 1962, empowering thousands of young individuals to gain invaluable experiences beyond the classroom. Delivered in more than 100 centres across the country, young people in India join more than a million of their peers across 130 countries taking on the challenge of the award each year.
About The British School New Delhi
The British School New Delhi is an inclusive, not-for-profit international school located in the heart of the diplomatic area of New Delhi. Founded in 1963 by the then British High Commissioner and his wife, the award winning school offers high quality education to British, expatriate and local families by drawing on the best facets of a rich and culturally diverse community. In 2018, the school was awarded the Top British International School of the Year and more recently, has been rated as one of the Top 3 Private Schools in India and the Top 150 Private Schools worldwide for the second consecutive year.
