Princess Diana was hailed for breaking barriers when she famously touched men dying of AIDS and now  William and  Harry are following in her footsteps giving their support to a leading HIV charity.

The royal brothers have written to the Terrence Higgins Trust, praising the organisation for supporting people with the virus. The charity was named after one of the first people to die of HIV in the UK.

In the letter to the charity, Princes' William and Harry called on people to "pick up the sword and continue the fight" against HIV.

Prince William and Harry wrote in the letter: "Our generation has never known a world without HIV. We have grown up knowing of the devastating impact this virus has on lives, on families, on communities.

"We know, too, that HIV can be treated and the lives of sufferers extended by many years. However, there is still a stigma which blights sufferers of the disease, even today.