Prince Harry, David Beckham and Sir Lenny Henry honour 60 winners at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards

Prince Harry, David Beckham, Sir Lenny Henry and former PM Sir John Major were among the personalities to pay tribute to inspiring young people from across the Commonwealth, who have been honoured by the Queen at an event at Buckingham Palace.

60 winners were recognized at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards for their exceptional leadership in their communities.

Prince Harry described the children as "an inspiration to so many". Speaking to the young winners he said: "The Queen's Young Leaders award recognises what you have achieved, not for yourselves, but for your communities, for your peers, and for those less fortunate. Your service spans a broad spectrum of fields from HIV and sexual health education, to micro finance and the recycling of hi-tech waste.

"You have already been an inspiration to so many, but I hope this award will inspire you to go out and achieve even greater things in the future, empowered by the network of leaders you now sit amongst."

At the presentation ceremony Prince Harry also hailed the Queen as a role model for millions. "I have been extremely fortunate to meet many exceptional people over the years, but none more so than Her Majesty The Queen," he said. "As the head of the Commonwealth, the Nation, the Armed Forces and our Family, I - like millions of others across the world - have been able to look to her for inspiration and guidance.

"The Queen, who assumed the challenge of leadership at such a young age, has shown us all the importance of selfless commitment and service. She is the example I aspire to and the standard by which I will judge my contribution."

Beckham said he hoped his own children would be inspired by the winners accomplishments. "I want my children to be inspired by these guys, whatever they want to be, to be honest, as long as they have dreams, aspirations and what better people to look at than these young women and men," he said.

Sir Lenny Henry said the awards honouring young people for doing "good in their communities" was a "fantastic thing." "It's fantastic they're from all over the Commonwealth and they've done amazing things like utilising chickens for equity and LGBT stuff and entrepreneurial stuff in their neighbourhoods."

"I think young people taking matters into their own hands to do good in their communities, is a great story - why wouldn't you tell that story - and why wouldn't you reward that, it's a fantastic thing."

Launched in 2014, over four years, the awards project will honour 60 inspirational individuals, aged 18 to 29, from across the globe, who will receive a Queen's Young Leaders Award.

Award winners will receive a tailored package of training, mentoring and networking, and be provided with a one-week residential programme in the UK during which they are presented with the awards by the Queen, Mail Online reports.

The programme has been established by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and is run in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society and the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education, in recognition of the monarch's lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.