Sisters Ashleigh (21) and Courtney (18) Smith, formerly of Naseby, now tertiary students in Dunedin, and Max Hall (17), of Mount Aspiring College, in Wanaka, met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Tuesday's Auckland War Memorial Museum reception, where the guests were mainly aged 17-25 and had been invited for their significant contributions to their communities.
The Central Otago trio had all been recognised for their work with Central Otago anti-cyber bullying group Sticks 'n Stones.
Courtney and Max were the first New Zealand recipients of the Diana Award, established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, to recognise "outstanding young people selflessly creating and sustaining positive social change".
Ashleigh was the 2017 winner of New Zealand's Queen's Young Leaders Award, and met Queen Elizabeth during a two-week Queen's Young Leader Award residential programme in the United Kingdom.
They said it was "wonderful" to meet the duke and duchess in Auckland, and that they had "a good chat" with the duchess about charity work and met Prince Harry "briefly".
Meeting all the other young people attending was inspirational, the sisters said.
"It was amazing to meet a whole lot of incredible young people," Ashleigh said.
"The opportunity to mix and mingle with them was just exceptional, and we walked away saying we couldn't believe the energy that comes from that.
"When you see young people like that it leaves you with a huge amount of hope about the direction of our country."
