During their encounter, the duke noticed that the young boy had a giraffe toy, which happened to be the same one he’d had during their first meeting back in 2019.
“Is this the same one? No way! Every parent has a spare. I’ve got at least six spares,” Harry revealed. “My daughter Lili has these Lovies [soft toys].”
During the emotional event, Harry gave out the award for ‘Inspirational Child’, aged 4 to 6, telling the group they were “little legends” and praising them for “uplifting all those around you”.
Harry also paid tribute to all of this year’s honourees – which included seriously ill children, teenagers and their families who act as carers and provide support amid their challenges – and thanked them for all that they do.
“Thank you for your courage, your perseverance, your kindness and of course your humour,” he told them.
“And thank you for being you and uplifting all those around you. The WellChild Awards is an event that never fails to inspire me.
“The stories of young people who battle against the odds, living lives filled with medical procedures, hospital stays and endless appointments, remind us all of the strength of the human spirit.
“For many of us it is a daily life we can hardly imagine, and yet somehow, the young people I meet are always smiling and every room they walk into seemingly lights up with warmth and positivity.”
This visit, off the back of Harry’s high-profile trip to New York City last week, is his second solo return to the UK in a matter of weeks.
At the end of August, the duke was back in his home country to attend a memorial service for his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes.
It marked the first time in two years that he had been in the same room as Prince William – excluding the vast and packed Westminster Abbey during King Charles’ coronation last May – but it’s understood the pair did not speak.
It’s unknown whether Harry will meet up with his brother, although it seems highly unlikely given their current estrangement.
The relationship between Harry and his father is on considerably better terms, but it’s not clear whether the pair intend to see each other during this brief visit. Harry did attempt to catch up with the King during a previous visit to London in May, but the King reportedly told him his schedule was “too full”.
