The Duke of Sussex has mentioned Queen Elizabeth II “is trying down on all of us” as he spoke fondly of his late grandmother on the eve of the anniversary of her demise.
Harry attended the WellChild Awards ceremony in London on Thursday night time, his first look within the UK since June.
In a speech on the ceremony, the duke mirrored on the occasions of 12 months in the past when he was compelled to overlook the awards as he rushed to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire after his grandmother was taken in poor health.
He mentioned: “As , I used to be unable to attend the awards final yr as my grandmother handed away.
“As you additionally in all probability know, she would have been the primary particular person to insist that I nonetheless come to be with you all as a substitute of going to her, and that’s exactly why I do know precisely one yr on that she is trying down on all of us tonight, comfortable we’re collectively, persevering with to highlight such an unimaginable group.”
The duke, who attended with out his spouse Meghan, mentioned the extent of assist and duty proven by mother or father carers was “unrivalled” and “proof that not all superheroes put on capes”.
However he mentioned extra work wanted to be finished for youngsters with advanced medical wants to make sure they spend much less time in hospital.
Talking to the award winners, he added: “Your tales energise and encourage us to wish to do extra all over the place we go. So simply preserve being you, and thanks for having me.”
Earlier, Harry reduce a relaxed determine as he sat with seriously-ill kids and their households throughout a pre-ceremony reception at The Hurlingham Membership in south-west London.
The duke, a WellChild patron for 15 years, sat down with every younger award winner in flip and spoke with them about their pursuits and hobbies.
He fist-bumped two of the boys receiving Inspirational Younger Particular person awards – George Corridor, 11, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, and Blake McCaughey, 15, from Tandragee, Co Armagh.
Blake and his household gifted Harry a inexperienced Belfast Giants ice hockey shirt, personalised with the duke’s identify on the again.
One other award winner, seven-year-old Poppy Higham, from Runcorn, danced to music by Ed Sheeran in entrance of Harry, to which he gave heat applause.
The duke then performed round with a giraffe balloon and confirmed Poppy its rotating head, prompting the teenager to select it up and play with it.
Poppy, who cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige, informed the PA information company she loved chatting with Harry about “my dancing, Disney and the awards”.
Her father, Daniel Higham, mentioned: “We’re so pleased with it (the award) – it’s wonderful.
“She simply makes our life rather a lot simpler generally when it’s not going proper, she simply will get on with it.
“I believe she simply takes it in her stride.”
Harry’s look on the occasion was the primary time the royal had been seen within the UK since his high-profile authorized case on the Excessive Courtroom towards Mirror Group Newspapers earlier within the yr.