All smiles, Prince Harry returns to the UK for children’s charity event
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Prince Harry has only occasionally returned to Britain since his move to California with his American wife Meghan in 2020.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Prince Harry returned to Britain on Sept 30 for a charity event for seriously ill children, appearing happy and playful as he chatted with the youngsters.
“Huge congratulations, you little legends. I salute you. We salute you,” a beaming Prince Harry said in a speech at the annual ceremony staged in London by the WellChild charity, for which he is a patron.
“The WellChild Awards is an event that never fails to inspire me,” he said. “The stories of young people who battle against the odds, living lives filled with medical procedures, hospital stays, endless appointments, they remind us all of the strength of the human spirit.”
Prince Harry, King Charles’ younger son, is rarely out of the media spotlight despite stepping down from official royal duties, but the focus on the Duke of Sussex was particularly intense in September after he celebrated his 40th birthday and began a series of public appearances.
He was in New York last week, where he called on governments to work more closely with young people, warning about the online dangers children faced and criticising the leaders of social media companies for not doing more to protect them.
He also appeared in a segment on the NBC flagship late-night talk programme The Tonight Show, where he was shown shouting and swearing as he joined host Jimmy Fallon walking through a “haunted maze” attraction.
The Prince has only occasionally returned to Britain since his move to California with his American wife Meghan in 2020 and his subsequent public falling-out with the other Windsors, most notably his father and his elder brother, Prince William.
It was not clear if Prince Harry will see any of his family on his latest return trip, and his spokesman declined to comment.
He was last in Britain in May for events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The King, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer, was too busy to see him then.
Prince Harry is also still involved in legal action against the British government over the security provided to himself and his family while in his homeland, arguing that he is concerned for the safety of his wife and their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three. REUTERS
