Prince Harry Steps Out for WellChild Awards in London on Emotional Day

Prince Harry is honoring seriously ill children and their carers in London.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, arrived in the U.K. on Sept. 8 for the annual celebration of youngsters who face complex health needs and their families who look after them.

Held by one of his favorite causes, the charity WellChild, the awards showcase the support and care that families, nurses and other professionals have for kids with serious health challenges.

Taking place at a central London hotel, the awards hold a special place in Harry’s heart. He has attended for most of the years since 2007, when he became a patron of the charity. The prince likes to spend private time with some of the honorees and their families and friends, and he will be making a speech at the event.

It also falls on a poignant day for Prince Harry: the third anniversary of the death of his beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth. Harry was expected to attend the Wellchild awards in September 2022 with his wife, Meghan Markle, but they cancelled as he and other members of the royal family rushed to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be with the Queen.

Earlier in the day, the Duke of Sussex traveled to the Queen’s burial site at St. George’s Chapel within Windsor Castle, laying a wreath of flowers during his private visit.

Meghan and the couple’s two children — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — are not with him as he doesn’t feel they can travel to the U.K. amid his concerns over security. After losing his legal appeal against a government decision that stripped him of automatic police protection when visiting Britain, he told the BBC on May 2, “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”

WellChild is one of the few charities Harry has kept since stepping back from his role as a full-working member of the royal family in January 2020. The WellChild Awards highlight the resilience of young people facing serious health challenges and the dedication of those who care for them, from parents to nurses.

When it was announced that he would be attending, Harry said in a statement, “I am always privileged to attend the WellChild Awards and meet the incredible children, families and professionals who inspire us all with their strength and spirit.”

“For 20 years, these awards have highlighted the courage of young people living with complex health needs and shone a light on the devoted caregivers – family and professionals – who support them every step of the way. Their stories remind us of the power of compassion, connection and community.”

Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE before the 2025 awards, WellChild executive Matt James spoke about Prince Harry’s impact on those he meets. 

“It gives everyone such a lift. Particularly the families and the winners who have faced unbelievable challenges and difficulties and overcome those odds often behind closed doors. For them, meeting the Duke and being honored today is an opportunity for them to get recognition for that and also, importantly, to give them an evening they won’t forget,” James says. “It’s an evening of such positivity and the Duke really adds to that. He just lifts the whole occasion — particularly for the importing children and young people we see tonight.”

The WellChild CEO adds of Harry, “He’s wonderful with the winners and the children and young people. It can be a daunting prospect meeting someone as high profile as the Duke, but he has this great way of making people feel instantly at ease. And you can see that when he goes round meeting the children and young people and families. It’s a wonderful experience and I know it’s one they won’t forget.”

This year is the 20th anniversary of the WellChild awards, a milestone occasion and celebration.

“This year is a big celebration. The Duke first attended in 2007. We are really excited to make the occasion by honoring not just the winners of this year but those who’ve come before,” James tells PEOPLE.

There have been 300 winners over the years, and some of the former winners are expected this evening. 

“It’s lovely to see them thriving and doing well,” says the WellChild executive. “It’s a nice opportunity for us to revisit those stories and see how well they’re doing.”

Many have met Prince Harry in the past.

“It’s great for him to see how far they’ve come and connect with some of those inspiring stories,” James says. “Like all of us, for the Duke this is an opportunity to celebrate 20 years of the WellChild awards and to mark the growth of WellChild as an organization. Twenty years ago, we had a big ambition to solve a social challenge, and when we look at where we are today and what we’re achieving, it’s a great way to reflect not only on the event itself but the growth of the charity alongside it.”

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Of the hurdles ahead, James explains, “Twenty years on from our very first WellChild Awards, we were facing a growing challenge of children and young people with complex medical needs being stuck in hospital because there wasn’t the support to get them home. Today, that challenge is still there, but it’s also about how do we make sure those children and families are thriving at home, at school, in their communities and into adulthood.”

“That’s where we are today. Advances in medicine mean that children and young people with complex medical needs are surviving longer than they were 20 years ago. So the challenge that WellChild faces has got bigger and more complex. The reason we exist is more important than it ever has been. And the growth of the charity is reflected in the growth of the needs,” he says.