Harry has this skill 'down to a fine art'
On the eve of Wellchild's 20th anniversary, here's a reminder of what Emily Nash thought of the Duke's appearance at last year's awards
Hello, Royal Clubbers. Next week, we’re expecting Prince Harry back on UK soil for the first time since April, when he appeared for a court hearing about security.
He’s due back in Blighty for the Wellchild Awards, a cause close to his heart which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The charity is very special, celebrating the achievements of seriously ill children and those who care for them. The Duke of Sussex is set to meet the winners and their families at a reception before the ceremony, present an award himself and deliver a speech.
We thought we’d share a glimpse back to this event last year, when our royal editor Emily Nash attended the awards with Prince Harry and offered her astute observations on the event how Harry came across…
I was inside the annual Wellchild Awards earlier this week, as the Duke of Sussex spent around an hour meeting the young winners and their families before joining them for the ceremony and making a moving speech on stage.
I’ve been covering this very special event for many years now and it never fails to inspire because of the bravery and resilience of the children and young people being honoured.
Needless to say, there is a lot of interest in Prince Harry’s attendance each year, especially since his departure from royal life.
But to see him in action this week, you’d be forgiven for thinking nothing had changed.
As he sat joking and playing with youngsters in the family room, he was clearly in his element, just as he always is around young children.
He arrived fully briefed, clearly having read up on everyone he was about to meet. (He spent around an hour sitting in his car before entering the hotel, perhaps having a last look at his speech and notes.)
And once inside, he looked happy and relaxed, smiling for photos, saying hello to familiar faces (including me!) and generally doing what he does best, which is to connect with people and shine a light on their achievements and concerns.
This year’s awards were held at the glitzy Royal Lancaster Hotel, which overlooks Hyde Park and is a stone’s throw from Kensington Palace, Prince Harry’s former residence.
And while his base now is in Montecito with Meghan and their children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, he looked very much at home.
He had arrived in the UK a day earlier and if he were feeling jetlagged, it didn’t show. Accompanied by his long-serving security guard David Langdown, European communications director Charlie Gipson and former Palace aide Clara Loughran, he listened carefully to each winner’s story and swapped notes about football, darts, children’s toys and the difference between “chips” and “fries” in the United States.
It's not surprising that he has this down to a fine art – he’s been patron of Wellchild for 16 years now and makes attending the awards an annual priority.
But it also marked a real return to what he knows best and the kind of work that he enjoyed most while still inside the royal fold.
Did you know?
Royal Club author Emily Nash features in sister publication HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast. The latest episode decodes Princess Catherine's heartfelt family video and you can watch and listen to it here.
He’s terrific at this kind of thing — just like Diana. It’s such a sad waste that he didn’t want to stay in the Firm. They lost out and so did he.
He needs to behave like a Royal who was guided by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II while she was alive. He needs to coach his wife about Royal protocol and good manners. She would have done with rules when she was in her Catholic school. Did she complain about wearing her uniform at that time? If you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. Period.