Diana was a longtime supporter of the HIV charity, and William and Harry pledged their allegiance to the organization in 2012. In a letter to the Terrence Higgins Trust, the royals said it was now up to their generation to "pick up the sword and continue the fight." "There is still no cure or vaccine. However, we know it is possible to prevent HIV from spreading further in the future. Terrence Higgins Trust will be to the fore in this, and for that reason, and because our mother believed so passionately in the work of the Trust, we wholeheartedly congratulate you on thirty years of selfless service to others," they wrote.
Diana also served as patron of the National AIDS Trust, which promotes the awareness of AIDS and helps prevent the spread of HIV. In April 1987, Diana was invited to open the UK's first AIDS ward at Middlesex hospital. While there, she was photographed shaking hands with HIV-positive patients without wearing gloves, challenging the notion that HIV/AIDS is passed on by touch.
