Prince Harry fought back tears as he discussed the "emotional ups and downs" faced by parents and praised their efforts during the WellChild awards. The Duke of Sussex delivered a speech at the end of the ceremony, acknowledging the dedication of parents and commending young people for living their lives to the full despite their conditions.
Emotional address to parents
In his address to attendees, the Duke became emotional, saying: "To all the mums and dads – most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day." He was supported by host Gaby Roslin, who had also offered him comfort when he broke down during his 2019 speech at the awards. He said "It’s happening again" and then laughed as she grabbed his arm: "That doesn’t help, that makes it worse."
He finished his tribute to parents: "But I sincerely hope that you take strength from nights like this. And while we may not know the detail of your day, in this room and beyond, we recognise the commitment of your care and all that comes with it."
Meeting the winners
Ahead of the ceremony, Harry met the winners, where he signed a miniature figure of himself and was given several housewarming gifts. He interacted with several of the winners, including Margot Jones-Billington, a six-year-old who was left with a brain injury after suffering a bleed on the brain at 10 months old. He spoke to her about his son Archie and daughter Lillibet, saying: "You obviously love sparkles. I have a boy and a girl who are seven and five. My little girl loves sparkles and she loves pink. That’s her favourite colour."
Margot won the award for Inspirational Child aged four to six, collecting her award in a sparkly dress and pink shoes. She handed Harry a belated birthday card and another from her younger sister Adelaide, who gave the Duke a hug on stage.
Reflections on parenthood
Harry told Hello Magazine: "Once you become a parent, it does change everything. It’s not the fact that for all the years that I wasn’t a parent that meeting the kids didn’t matter as much, but you suddenly realise how grateful you are to have kids that aren’t sick." He also told Hello he explained to his children what he was doing this evening: "I decided, ‘You know what? You’re being a little bit tricky, so I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m doing tonight’. And they were genuinely fascinated and asking all sorts of questions."
He said to the guests: "These awards are always a very special evening because they give us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate an extraordinary group of children and young people living with complex medical needs, as well as the incredible families who give it everything they’ve got every single day. Tonight is also about recognising the remarkable people who go above and beyond to help those children, young people and families live full and meaningful lives. And that really is at the heart of what WellChild is all about."
Charity milestone and media attention
Harry added that the charity is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of WellChild’s specialist nursing programme and asked nurses in the room to stand to receive a standing ovation. On arrival at the award show, Harry was met with many questions from the media, including if he had been in communication with his uncle over the last few days, but he did not provide a response. The ceremony came amid snippets of Earl Spencer's book being released in which allegations towards the King have been made. Harry attended the awards alone, with Meghan having not attended a public event since the couple returned to the UK in August. The Duke has been a patron of WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children and their families, since 2007.
