TWENTY-year-old Alex Underwood, from Narberth met His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at a Buckingham Palace celebration, recognising his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award achievement.

Alex, who is also a DofE Cymru Youth Ambassador, joined thousands of young people and their loved ones for a festival-style celebration in the Buckingham Palace Garden on Wednesday, May 20. The event was hosted by The Duke (Prince Edward) as Patron of the DofE charity.

The celebration was one of four taking place over two days at the Palace, recognising over 9,000 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.

Alex, who has additional needs, did his DofE at Portfield School, in Haverfordwest. For his Physical section, he developed his fitness through Puffins Disability Swimming Squad at his local leisure centre. As part of his Volunteering, Alex supported a charity shop, helping to sort and price items and welcome customers. For his Skills section, he gained hands-on experience working in agriculture on a local dairy farm.

During the exchange, The Duke asked Alex: “What stands out to you with the Gold?”

In response, Alex said: “The expedition was my favourite. We went in dry and came out wet.”

Alex also told The Duke about the skills he learnt through DofE, including the dairy farming experience which encouraged his further studies. Reflecting on his meeting with Prince Edward, Alex said: “I believe that completing DofE gave me confidence in my abilities and I told His Royal Highness I am now in college at Ruskin Mill, building more skills through new experiences. It all began with saying 'yes' to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The Duke gave me a hearty congratulations and it was very nice to meet him".

Despite initially being nervous that his disability would hold him back, Alex has come to realise that with the right people and support around him, he can achieve anything he puts his mind to. Alex has not only gone on to achieve Bronze, Silver and his Gold Award, but he has also spread that DofE message throughout Portfield School and now across Wales as a DofE Cymru Youth Ambassador. Last year, Alex won the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) Young Volunteer of the Year 2025 Award for the work he’s doing in his role.

Alex said: “Before starting I felt a bit apprehensive about whether my learning disability would hold me back but with support from my DofE Leader and encouragement from my teachers, I soon gained the courage to try new experiences and haven’t looked back. I would like to encourage more pupils with additional needs to join DofE as it is for everyone and can help them build new skills.”

For the Gold Award celebration event, the Buckingham Palace Garden had been transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting, and activities – including some very special touches in recognition of the DofE charity’s 70th anniversary.

Attendees heard from TV chef and bestselling author, Jon Watts, and picked up career advice from presenter and podcaster Sam Thompson, actress Corinna Brown, F1 Academy driver Chloe Chong, musician and presenter Gareth Malone OBE and sports presenter Hayley McQueen, at stages throughout the garden. 

During his speech, Jon Watts TV chef, author and DofE Gold Award holder, shared how doing his DofE in prison transformed his life. He said: “When I was 18, I was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. At the time, I genuinely thought my life was over. I didn’t think I’d get a second chance, let alone do anything meaningful with my life. But then I was introduced to the DofE.

“The biggest turning point came during the Skills section. I chose cooking. I didn’t know it then, but cooking in the prison was the moment I felt a tiny spark within me. It was small, but it was enough. I got a day-release job at one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, and everything about it fascinated me, the buzz, the pace, the energy. Fresh herbs and vegetables I’d never even seen before. I completely fell in love with it.

“Of course, it wasn’t always easy. I had doubts, and setbacks. But I kept showing up. That journey built the resilience that’s carried me ever since.”

A Gold DofE Award is a major achievement – young people spend at least 12 months honing new skills and talents, planning and completing an expedition and residential, and volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.

Since its conception in 1956, the DofE has reached over 15.5 million young people globally2, with more than 8.8 million young people having started a DofE Award in the UK – enough people to fill Wembley Stadium 98 times. In the last year alone, over 345,000 young people in the UK started their DofE – the highest annual starts in our 70-year history – giving over 6 million volunteering hours in their communities, worth an estimated total value of £45.4m3.

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the Buckingham Palace Garden today – who through their DofE, have shown extraordinary perseverance and resilience, and developed core skills for life.

“It’s incredible to think that 70 years ago, 7,000 young people started a DofE journey; fast forward to 2026 and this number shoots up to over 345,000. As young people navigate an uncertain time, we will continue to champion opportunities that build confidence, resilience and human skills for all young people. I’m deeply grateful to our volunteers, partners and supporters who make that possible, and over the next five years, we look forward to building on that further by helping an additional two million young people access a life-changing DofE Award of their own.”

To mark 40 years of being a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award holder himself, The Duke posted in the DofE’s 70th anniversary digital scrapbook, giving a humorous account of when his father, Prince Philip, presented him with his Gold Award at St James’s Palace, in 1986.

In his post, which is accompanied by a photograph from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award archive, The Duke said: “Usually, my father would give the bunch of Award certificates to a presenter to distribute, but this time he talked to our group, gave me my certificate and then said, ‘Well, since I’ve given you that one, I’ll give you the rest’ and handed the whole lot to me to hand out!”

As the charity celebrates 70 years of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, it is recognising DofE participants past and present and the incredible volunteers who make their journey possible — anyone with a connection to the DofE is invited to join HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and celebrate by sharing their memories in DofE’s digital scrapbook on DofE.org/your-story .