- Taylor and Tyler Mark-Conlon, 19, who grew up in foster care, were recognised for their resilience and determination in an exchange with HRH The Duke Edinburgh.
- Jake Humphrey, Larry Lamb and other celebrities gave inspiring speeches.
Monday 1 June 2026: During a personal exchange with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, twins Taylor and Tyler Mark-Conlon, from Thetford in Norfolk, told him how doing their DofE in care helped form the young adults they are today.
Hosted by The Duke as Patron of the DofE charity, the 19-year-olds joined thousands of young people and their loved ones for a festival-style celebration in the Buckingham Palace Garden on Friday 22 May – an event which recognised their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award achievement.
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.
Taylor and Tyler, who did their DofE at Thetford Academy, continue to volunteer at the school, inspiring the next generation of DofE participants and demonstrating the lasting impact of the Award.
The twins were among a handful of young people to personally speak to The Duke at the event. During the exchange, Taylor told The Duke: “We did all of our DofE levels together. Now we both volunteer at the school, helping with expeditions – we’re qualified assessors, have completed our leader and manager training, and I’ve signed up for my Mountain Leader qualification.”
In response, The Duke said: “Good luck – you’ll have lots of fun doing that. Well done.”
A difficult start in life saw Taylor and Tyler grow up in foster care but they have never let this define them. With assistance from school and DofE charity funding, they were supported and encouraged to step outside their comfort zones through their DofE.
Tyler is currently completing his first year studying Chemistry at the University of York, where he is already looking ahead with ambitions of progressing onto a master’s degree. He hopes to pursue a career in research, with a particular interest in pharmaceuticals.
Reflecting on his journey, Tyler said: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helped me discover my love for camping and hiking. It gave me the opportunity to learn new skills like navigation, and I now have qualifications to teach and lead the programme as well.
“My brother Taylor and I still volunteer with Thetford Academy’s DofE programme. Some of my favourite memories include wild camping in the Lake District and hiking alongside waterfalls.”
Taylor’s journey through DofE has been equally transformative, helping him discover a lifelong passion for the outdoors and leadership. He became the first Young Leader at his school, supporting expeditions and today, is studying BSc Physical Geography at the University of Sheffield.
Taylor said: “Before DofE, I had never been camping or hiking. Completing my Bronze Award after lockdown pushed me to be creative and spend more time outdoors, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The expedition then completely changed my life – I discovered my passion for the outdoors, camping and hiking.
“DofE has been an amazing journey. It helped me choose my university, as being close to the Peak District was a big factor. I’ve become a walk leader, joined the walking club committee as charity officer, and I’m now training for the UK Mountain Leader programme. DofE is a rewarding challenge – I’ve pushed myself to my limits, and I’m thankful for it.”
Head of Service for East Anglia at By the Bridge, Keeley Purslow, said: “Taylor and Tyler are two truly remarkable young men, and achieving the prestigious Gold The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an incredible milestone that reflects their determination, resilience, and commitment.”
“The twins remain closely connected to their fostering family, and their journey is not only a celebration of personal achievement, but also a powerful example of the life-changing opportunities that fostering and programmes such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can provide – helping young people grow in confidence, develop new skills, discover their passions, and build positive futures for themselves.”
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 and picked up career advice from Actor Hugh Bonneville, Olympic Champion Tabby Stoecker, Explorer Lucy Shepherd, Outdoor enthusiast Drew Walker, Presenter Alex Jones and Actor Larry Lamb, at stages throughout the garden.
During his speech, headline speaker, presenter and author, Jake Humphrey, told attendees: “Moments like this are not earned through comfort, they are earned through challenge.” He said: “If you want to do anything meaningful with your life, you have to risk being wrong. But the problem with 2026, our social media dominated, algorithmically controlled modern world, is that everybody feels pressure to appear perfect. Perfection is everywhere we look, eroding our sense of achievement.”.
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.”
Earlier today, and to mark 40 years of being a Gold DofE 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, 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’s 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.
Reference:
Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh, has been a DofE Trustee since 1988 and after the passing of his father, became the charity’s Patron in March 2023.
2Reporting period 1 Jan to 31 Dec, 1957 to 2024, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International
3345,908 young people started their DofE in 2025/26. Participants clocked up a huge 6,018,402 hours of volunteering as part of their DofE – with an estimated total value of £45.4m.