Prince Harry fondly told one of the WellChild award winners that her dress was “amazing,” she revealed today during an appearance on This Morning.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, arrived in Britain yesterday to attend the WellChild Awards at London’s Hurlingham Club – an event he says he ‘looks forward to every year’.
The awards ceremony took place on the eve of the first anniversary of the death of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Britain’s longest-serving monarch died on September 8 last year in Scotland’s Balmoral, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
During the engagement, the Royal Family met award winner Poppy Higham, 7, from Runcorn, who arrived at the event in a blue ballgown and tiara.
Today, Poppy appeared on This Morning alongside her mother Stacey and revealed how she had dinner with Prince Harry at the ceremony and said, “He said my dress was amazing.”
Prince Harry, 38, fondly told Poppy Higham, 7, one of the WellChild award winners, that her dress was ‘amazing’, she revealed today during an appearance on This Morning
Appearing on This Morning today alongside her mother Stacey, Poppy revealed how she had dinner with Prince Harry at the awards
Stacey explained that Poppy cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige on the program and said: ‘Last year I nominated Poppy because life at home is very difficult.
‘We have had two hospital anniversaries in the hospital for the past two years in a row. Even though it’s a shame she wasn’t home, we made the best of it.’
In the meantime Poppy said she “adores” her sister Paige, who has West Syndrome.
It means she has seizures every day, needs 24 hour care and 24/7 oxygen at home.
Met Prince Harry last night, Poppy danced to music by Ed Sheeran for Harry, for which he gave a warm applause.
The Duke then played with a giraffe balloon and showed Poppy its rotating head, prompting the little boy to pick it up and play with it.
Poppy, who cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige, said she enjoyed talking to Harry about “my dancing, Disney and the prizes.”
Her father, Daniel, said: “We are so proud of it (the award) – it’s amazing.
‘She sometimes makes our lives a lot easier when things aren’t going well, she just keeps going. I think she’s just comfortable with it.’
The Duke of Sussex was in London to celebrate the achievements and resilience of seriously ill children and their families supported by WellChild, an organization he has been a patron of for 15 years.
Harry is currently visiting Britain without his wife Meghan and their children Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, who have stayed home in Montecito, California.
Poppy said she ‘adores’ her sister Paige on the program as she appeared alongside her mum this morning
When he met Prince Harry last night, Poppy danced for Harry to music by Ed Sheeran, to which he gave a warm round of applause
The Duke then played with a giraffe balloon and showed Poppy its rotating head, prompting the boy to pick it up and play with it.
Poppy, who looks after her 17-year-old sister Paige, said she enjoyed talking to Harry about “my dancing, Disney and the prizes”
The seven-year-old performed a dance for the Duke of Sussex after meeting him backstage at the award ceremony
The royal family, who made their first appearance in Britain since June, cut a relaxed figure as he sat with seriously ill children and their families at a pre-ceremony reception.
He talked to them about their interests and hobbies and had several interactions with the accompanying balloons, which were shaped like different animals.
The Duke took turns sitting at the table with each young prize winner before speaking to the adult winners during the reception, which lasted just under an hour.
He punched two of the boys who received the Inspiring Youth Award: George Hall, 11, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, and Blake McCaughey, 15, from Tandragee in County Armagh.
Blake and his family gave Harry a green Belfast Giants ice hockey shirt, personalized with the Duke’s name on the back.
The pair then talked about Blake’s tiger balloon, and Harry asked him, “Would you like to take this one home?” to which the teenager shook his head.
He had previously shown the same feature to Hayley Cassin, from Rotherham, winner of the Inspiring Youngsters aged 12 to 14 category.
Harry noted that each winner’s balloon represented a different animal and asked, “Is the theme Madagascar?”
A host of familiar faces, including former Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, also attended last night’s event.
Harry regularly attends WellChild’s annual awards ceremony, but the Duchess of Sussex, a guest at previous events, was absent this evening.
Last year, the awards were presented on the day the Queen died, forcing Harry and Meghan to pull out of the event as the Duke flew to Scotland to be with other members of the royal family.
Harry said in his memoirs published in January that his father had told him that Meghan had not been invited to accompany him to the family’s Scottish estate. Kate, William’s wife, also did not go to Balmoral.