WATCH | 'She would've been fighting in your corner': Prince Harry tackles racism in Diana Awards speech

Prince Harry has highlighted the need to do more to effectively tackle racism, acknowledging that older generations had not done enough to “right the wrongs of the past”.

The Duke of Sussex made these remarks during the first virtual Diana Awards ceremony, which was broadcast on YouTube on July 1, on what would have been the late Princess Diana's 59th birthday.

The awards recognise the incredible achievements of change makers aged 9-25 from across the globe and featured surprise appearances from the likes of actress Emma Thompson and One Direction's Liam Payne.

The duke, speaking on behalf of his brother Prince William and himself, praised the recipients of the award for the “incredible” work they're doing to fight injustice in a surprise congratulatory award.

“You are all doing such incredible work and at a time of such great uncertainty, you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world ... I know my mother has been an inspiration to many of you and I can assure you, she would've been fighting in your corner.

“Like many of you, she never took the easy route, or the popular one or the comfortable one, but she stood for something and stood up for people who needed it.”

The duke went on to stress the need to effectively deal with racism, apologising for his and older generations' failure to create a better world for youngsters.

“My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to right the wrongs of the past. I too am sorry, sorry that we haven't got the world to the place that you deserve it to be. Institutional racism has no place in our society, yet it is still endemic. Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you,” Prince Harry said.