The 2023 Great Debate final was held on 25 March at the Vicars' Hall, Windsor Castle. The question for young people to address was: 

“Why does history matter to me?”

Across the course of the day the judges and audience listened to talks on the personal experiences of finalists’ relatives in the past; important social movements such as Women’s rights and battles against racism; the impact of empire and colonialism; key figures from history, including scientists and social campaigners; key events from across the globe such as the Algerian war of independence, the recent World Cup final, the war in the Ukraine and the Spanish Civil War.

Watch all the finalists' speeches on these pages.