HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, who appeared on the cover of Attitude magazine in July, has been added to the shortlist of nominees for the Straight Ally award by the British LGBT Awards. The nominees are those public figures who have made it part of their mission to advance LGBT rights, and as the first member of the British Royal Family to have been photographed for the cover of an LGBT magazine, Prince William has certainly done just that.

In May, Attitude arranged a meeting at Kensington Palace between Prince William and members of the LGBT community where the Prince learned about their experiences with bullying. After the meeting, he made the following statement:

“No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives. The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude, are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it. What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their sexuality: don’t put up with it – speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need. You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Joining Prince William as nominees for the Straight Ally Award are James Corden, Ariana Grande, Anne Hathaway, Thierry Henry, Anne Lennox, Macklemore, JK Rowling, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Emma Watson.

If you would like to cast your vote for the British LGBT Awards, you can do so here.