Prince Harry’s Sword Fight Is a Throwback to His Royal Duty Fun

Prince Harry‘s playful streak shone while meeting young people at the WellChild Awards Ceremony in London.

On Sept. 8, the Duke of Sussex, 40, stepped out to attend the 20th Anniversary WellChild Awards Ceremony, supporting the flagship event for the charity he’s backed as patron since 2007.  WellChild is the U.K.’s national charity for seriously ill children, and the annual awards highlight the resilience of the young people and their carers.

At the event, Harry met young winners in each award category and their family members at a pre-ceremony reception.

King Charles‘ younger son engaged in a playful balloon sword fight with Gwen Foster, 9, who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The Duke of Sussex dramatically threw his arm up as he and Foster battled — and the young girl fearlessly swung her balloon sword back at Harry.

Cameras also captured Prince Harry pretending to lodge a balloon tower at Grace Tutt, 13, leaning in for a close chat with Esmee McGlinchey, 6, and shaking hands with Declan Bitmead while meeting the young man.

The emotive scenes called back to the candor the Duke of Sussex brought to official duties while he was a working royal.

Just like his late mother, Princess Diana, Prince Harry was known for his warm way and down-to-earth demeanor at public engagements.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and moved to the U.S. with their son, Prince Archie, now 6. The couple’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, now 4, was born in California in 2021.

At the WellChild event, Prince Harry seemed touched by a gift: a Brighton and Hove Albion soccer jersey personalized with “Archie.” The purple shirt included the number 6, likely reflecting Archie’s age.

WellChild is a patronage that Harry retained following his step back from his royal role, and he is expected to make a speech and present an award at the charity’s awards ceremony on Monday.

The event coincided with a poignant day: the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth‘s death. A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed to PEOPLE that he visited his beloved grandmother’s burial place at St. George’s Chapel earlier in the day to lay a wreath of flowers in her memory.

Despite the emotional anniversary, a source told PEOPLE that Prince Harry arrived in the U.K. in a “positive” mood. 

“He’s in a really good headspace and looking forward to seeing everyone from his charities and the causes he cares about,” the source said.