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Prince Harry has had a surprising video chat with the winners of the WellChild awards after he was forced to pull out of the awards ceremony to see the Queen on her deathbed in Balmoral.
The Duke of Sussex appeared on camera from his California home, chatting about family life with his wife Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet. At one point, he seemed visibly moved when told that his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, would have been so proud of him.
Harry also talked about his three dogs, the black Labrador named Pula and the rescue beagles Guy and Mia. He said they were “emotional support dogs, 100%, before adding, ‘If they behave.’
Harry initially spoke to Henry Waines. a four-year-old who was born with serious health problems. He won the Inspirational Child Award in the four to six year old category and appeared with his parents, Ben and Shevonne.
The Prince turned to Henry and said, “That’s a very, very cool prize. You know I was the one who would give it to you and unfortunately I couldn’t be there. I’m sorry we didn’t meet, Henry.’ “Don’t worry,” the child replied.
Harry initially spoke to Henry Waines. a four-year-old who was born with serious health problems. He appeared next to his parents, Ben and Shevonne
The Duke of Sussex appeared on a video call from his California home, chatting about family life with his wife Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet
After being told that Henry was named after him, the Duke replied, “My name is Henry. Well, everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea why.’
He later said to the boy, “You sound just like my son Archie… you have the same squeaky voice. I love it.’
Ben and Shevonne later asked the Royal Family how Archie and Lilibet were doing and he replied, “They’re doing great… Archie is very busy and Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great.”
The Prince added: ‘Once again, can I say full respect to you as parents for going through this. I know, I don’t know, but having been part of this charity for ten years I know how hard it is, but you guys keep smiling.”
One of Harry’s calls was to 10-year-old Shakeerah Crowther, the only known survivor of a rare bacterial brain infection she contracted while being treated for a brain tumor.
Harry saw the boy’s giant giraffe balloon and asked her, ‘Shakeerah, how long have you had that giraffe? Because Archie also has a giraffe that has been around for a long time and we call him Gerald.”
At one point, the girl told Harry in sign language that she was “sorry about your grandmother the Queen.”
“That’s sweet,” Harry replied.
The Duke has been a patron of WellChild since 2007, but had to withdraw from the London awards ceremony after Buckingham Palace issued a statement about the Queen’s health.
The Prince turned to Henry and said, “That’s a very, very cool prize. You know I was the one who would give it to you and unfortunately I couldn’t be there. I’m sorry we didn’t meet, Henry’
Speaking to Isabelle Delaney, the 13-year-old Inspirational Young Person award winner, he admired her service dog, a Labradoodle named Hope.
Harry said, ‘We all need a dog to keep us calm. I now have three in this house, so we actually have five children. But I have a black Labrador named Pula, a rescue beagle named Guy, and we have another rescue beagle named Mia.
“And the three of them run every day to hunt for squirrels and cause all kinds of trouble for us. But they are also emotional support dogs, 100%, if they behave.’
WellChild CEO Matt James said: “Our remarkable winners and their families were delighted to have this additional opportunity to celebrate their achievements, especially as this year’s event took place under unique circumstances.
The Duke recognized the enormous challenges faced by children and young people facing serious health problems, positivity, resilience and courage and the dedication of those around them, of siblings, professionals and volunteers who have done their best to guide them through such challenging times.’