Prince Harry fought back tears as he delivered a speech at the WellChild Awards, praising parents of seriously ill children and young people for embracing life fully despite their medical conditions.
The Duke of Sussex gave the closing address at the ceremony, recognising the dedication of parents and applauding the young people for living their lives to the full. Before the ceremony, he met the award recipients, autographing a miniature figurine of himself and receiving several housewarming presents.
Emotional tribute to parents
The Duke became visibly moved during his address, stating: "To all the mums and dads - most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day." Presenter Gaby Roslin, who had previously consoled him when he became overwhelmed during his 2019 speech at the same awards, stepped in to support him.
He remarked "It's happening again" before chuckling as she took hold of his arm: "That doesn't help, that makes it worse". He concluded his tribute: "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."
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."
Upon arriving at the awards ceremony, Harry faced questions from journalists, including whether he had spoken with his uncle recently, but he remained silent on the matter. The event took place as excerpts from Earl Spencer's book emerged, containing claims directed at the King. Harry appeared at the awards without company, as Meghan has not been seen at any public engagements since the pair returned to the UK in August.
WellChild patron since 2007
The Duke has served as patron of WellChild, the national charity supporting seriously ill children and their families, since 2007. He told attendees: "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."
He mentioned that the charity is marking the 20th anniversary of WellChild's specialist nursing programme and invited nurses present to rise for a round of applause. Harry mingled with numerous award recipients before the ceremony began, chatting with Margot Jones-Billington, a six-year-old who sustained a brain injury following a bleed on the brain at 10 months old, discussing his son Archie and daughter Lilibet.
Harry said: "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." He revealed to Hello that he'd briefed his children on his evening plans: "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."
Margot claimed the Inspirational Child award for the four to six age category, accepting her accolade while wearing a glittery dress and pink shoes. She presented Harry with a belated birthday card plus another from her younger sister Adelaide, who embraced the Duke on stage.
