Prince Harry praised the work of his close friend Sir Elton John as he introduced the singer at an AIDS conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Sir Elton, 71, took the stage on the second day of AIDS 2018 to launch a billion-dollar initiative aimed at targeting HIV infections in men in sub-Saharan Africa. In a speech ahead of the announcement the Duke of Sussex, 33, said he was 'honoured to be sharing the stage with someone who has always put people at the centre of his work'. The two men, both influential figures in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, embraced as Sir Elton joined the royal on stage. Prince Harry praised the work of his close friend Sir Elton John as he introduced the singer at an AIDS conference in Amsterdam Sir Elton, 71, pictured on stage with Prince Harry and young advocates, was on hand to launch a billion-dollar initiative aimed at targeting HIV infections in men in sub-Saharan Africa Prince Harry hugged a young advocate during a session at AIDS 2018 in Amsterdam today In a later interview with CNN’s Max Foster, Elton spoke about Harry’s wedding in May, at which he was a guest, and lauded it as ‘progress’. He said: ‘It was very, very wonderful to be there. To have a black Gospel choir, a multi-racial bride, a black cellist, who was wonderful, a preacher. It felt like a party. And it felt like progress had been made, thank God. I think the Queen had a lot to do with it, I think she’s been magnificent. And it was a wonderful thing to be at, the first multi-racial royal wedding in Britain. Amazing.’ Asked whether it was historic, he replied: ‘Oh absolutely. Are you kidding me? Yes, of course. You go back and watch The Crown and things like that, and in the 1950’s Princess Margaret wasn’t allowed to get married, because he was divorced. Look how far we have come in that respect. ‘ He also referred to his great friend, the late Princess Diana, and her work to erase the stigma around HIV and Aids, and on how she would have felt on how far people had come, saying: ‘I think she would be delighted. I think she would have made a huge difference if she’d been still alive and I think we’d probably have come a lot further as well. She had the ability to charm anyone, Trump, the guy from North Korea, you name it… She’s the one. Prince Harry has inherited his mother’s ability to do that which is an amazing asset we have now as he is incredibly passionate about AIDS.’ South African actress Charlize Theron meanwhile also raised a flag for women. The epidemic is 'not just about sex or sexuality,' she said. 'We know it is linked to the second-class status of women and girls worldwide.' South African actress Charlize Theron meanwhile also raised a flag for women. The epidemic is 'not just about sex or sexuality,' she said. 'We know it is linked to the second-class status of women and girls worldwide.' Prince Harry speaks with Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish at the conference The Aids 2018 conference is billed as the largest gathering on HIV and Aids in the world, bringing together more than 15,000 scientists, activists, health providers, policy makers and global leaders. In recent years Prince Harry has continued the work of his mother Princess Diana - a pioneer in the fight against AIDS - by raising awareness about the epidemic and encouraging people to get tested and know their HIV status. His charity Sentebale focuses on supporting HIV-positive young people in the African nations of Lesotho and Botswana. Today Harry praised the work that had already been done to tackle the virus and support those who are HIV positive, but warned there is still more to do. He told the session on Monday morning: 'For over a quarter century, Elton has worked tirelessly to fund research and services in communities around the world. Harry has in recent years followed in the footsteps of his mother Diana - a pioneer in the fight against Aids - by raising awareness about HIV/Aids The prince congratulated Sir Elton on bringing together such a well-funded coalition of partners 'And today, he has come to Amsterdam to announce his latest endeavour – a billion dollar global partnership to break the cycle of male transmission of HIV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. 'We stand here at a moment when the progress we have fought so hard for is at risk from a dangerous complacency. 'Too many around the world are still ignoring the damaging knock-on effect on education and other community services from not prioritising HIV prevention and treatment. The close friendship between the men was apparent as Sir Elton walked onto the stage Harry warned too many around the world are still ignoring the damaging knock-on effect on education and other community services from not prioritising HIV prevention and treatment Prince Harry shared the stage with Sir Elton at AIDS 2018 in Amsterdam on Tuesday The singer has been an influential figure in the global fight against HIV/AIDS 'This is a time when new, energetic and innovative solutions are needed more than ever before – and that is exactly what you are about to see from Elton and the Men Star Coalition partners.' He added: 'To formally announce the Men Star Coalition, it is my honour to introduce my friend, Sir Elton John.' Sir Elton, who performed at Harry's recent wedding reception, told the delegates: 'If we want to end Aids once and for all, we must make men part of the solution. 'It is time there was a global coalition to teach men to protect themselves, and in doing so it will teach them to better protect not only their wives and girlfriends, their sisters and daughters, but also critically their brothers and sons.' Sir Elton John and Prince Harry during a session at the AIDS2018 conference Sir Elton was on hand to launch a new billion-dollar initiative to tackle HIV in sub-Saharan Africa The project will begin in Africa next year, where men across the continent will be encouraged to self-test for HIV, in a bid to empower them to seek treatment if positive and help stop the spread of the virus. Yesterday the duke joined a session at the conference where youth delegates from countries including India, Zimbabwe and the US spoke about how Aids has affected their lives. At the end they all gathered for a group picture and Harry even posed for a selfie with one of them. Harry is continuing the work of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who was the first member of the royal family to have contact with a person suffering from HIV/Aids. Sir Elton worked closely with Princess Diana in her campaigns. On a TV documentary about Diana released last year Sir Elton (pictured with Prince Harry) praised the late princess' work in raising awareness of the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic The singer also compared Prince Harry's warm and caring nature to that of his mother's<doc-sep>Elton John is spilling the royal tea on his time at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lavish May 19 wedding at Windsor Castle. The legendary singer, 71, chatted about the “wonderful” occasion with CNN: “It was very, very wonderful to be there. To have a black gospel choir, a multiracial bride, a black cellist, who was wonderful, a preacher – it felt like a party, and it felt like progress had been made,” he said. “Thank God, thank God.” RELATED: Prince Harry Praises Good Friend Elton John, Pair Team Up To Launch AIDS Initiative In Amsterdam John not only was a guest, but he also performed three songs for the newlyweds at their afternoon reception host by the Queen. He continued, “To be at the first multiracial royal wedding in Britain – amazing.” The “Benny And The Jets” singer, and his husband David Furnish, attended the 2018 International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam with the Duke of Sussex to help launch a new HIV self-testing campaign for men in Kenya. RELATED: Prince Harry Teams Up With Sir Elton John To Launch Global Coalition At 2018 International AIDS Conference During the conference, Furnish told CNN, “What was so inspiring, and it sounds corny, but, true love is what really shone through and that’s what everybody felt, the sincerity and the integrity of that true love on the day. And it shows that institutions like the monarchy can evolve with the times.” John had been a longtime friend of Princes Harry and William’s late mother, Princess Diana.<doc-sep>Prince Harry and Sir Elton John are joining forces for a new global initiative that will combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The longtime friends are launching the MenStar coalition, "which will expand the diagnoses and treatment of HIV infections in men, with the aim of ultimately ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030," Kensington Palace announced today. The coalition will support delivering effective HIV/AIDS services for men, promote early testing, treatment, and achievement of viral suppression, the palace added on Twitter. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Preparing for #AIDS2018 Plenary Session with @EltonOfficial – where The Duke and Sir Elton will launch the MenStar coalition, which will expand the diagnoses and treatment of HIV infections in men, with the aim of ultimately ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. pic.twitter.com/sYnROYwpdS — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 24, 2018 While speaking at the annual AIDS conference in Amsterdam, the Duke of Sussex explained that the new project was inspired by the rise of HIV infections in women and the need to educate "hard-to-reach young men" about prevention from the epidemic. "Too many around the world are still ignoring the damaging knock-on effect on education and other community services from not prioritizing HIV prevention and treatment," he said. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. MenStar will support innovative approaches in delivering effective HIV/AIDS services for men, increasing earlier uptake of testing, treatment, and achievement of viral suppression #AIDS2018 — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 24, 2018 The duke has been fighting AIDS for years, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana. In 2006, he founded the organization Sentebale, which helps children in Lesotho, Africa who have been orphaned by the epidemic. In 2016, he famously took an HIV test in Barbados with Rihanna to raise awareness and fight stigmas about the procedure. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Prince Harry’s decision to take an #HIV test live on Facebook was a groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV. pic.twitter.com/1A77ycB7eC — Terrence Higgins Trust (@THTorguk) September 1, 2017 Sir Elton John has also been raising awareness on the illness for years, which Harry pointed out at the conference today. "For over a quarter-century, Elton has worked tirelessly to fund research and services in communities around the world," he said, per USA Today. "And today, he has come to Amsterdam to announce his latest endeavor, a billion-dollar global partnership to break the cycle of male transmission of HIV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa." This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The legendary singer was close friends with Princess Diana and continued to stay close with Harry after her death. He even sang at the reception for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in May. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>
Sir Elton John has opened up about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's "wonderful" wedding. The 71-year-old, who attended and later performed at the lunchtime reception on 19 May in Windsor, revealed that the union was a historic moment for the British royal family. "It was very, very wonderful to be there," he told CNN. "To have a black gospel choir, a multiracial bride, a black cellist, who was wonderful, a preacher - it felt like a party, and it felt like progress had been made. Thank god, thank god." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day The legendary singer was famously a close friend of Harry's mother, Princess Diana. He was specially picked by the royal to perform three songs for the newlyweds at the reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle's St. George's Hall. He added: "To be at the first multiracial royal wedding in Britain - amazing." Elaborating on his comments further, the star continued: "Oh absolutely. Are you kidding me? Yes, of course. You go back and watch The Crown and things like that, and in the 1950s Princess Margaret wasn't allowed to get married (to Group Captain Peter Townsend) because he was divorced. Look how far we have come in that respect." MORE: Sir Elton John recalls moment Prince Harry told him 'I'm in love' Elton John has revealed new details about the royal wedding On Tuesday, Elton and Harry were reunited as they continued to highlight the fight against the HIV virus at the Aids 2018 summit in Amsterdam. Together, the good friends have launched the billion-dollar MenStar Coalition, which is aimed at targeting HIV infections in men. Speaking about Princess Diana's legacy on combatting AIDS, Elton confessed: "I think she would be delighted. I think she would have made a huge difference if she'd been still alive and I think we’d probably have come a lot further as well." MORE: Prince Harry reunites with Sir Elton John to highlight fight against HIV Loading the player... He added: "She had the ability to charm anyone, Trump, the guy from North Korea, you name it… She's the one. Prince Harry has inherited his mother's ability to do that which is an amazing asset we have now as he is incredibly passionate about AIDS." For the past few years, Harry has been a committed HIV/Aids campaigner, raising awareness about the disease and even being publicly tested for the virus a number of times. His charity Sentebale focuses on supporting HIV positive young people in the African nations of Lesotho and Botswana.