Prince Harry close to tears at Well Child awards as he recalls Meghan’s early pregnancy
‘Speaking to all of you pulls at my heart strings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Duke of Sussex delivered an emotional speech at an awards ceremony that celebrates children with severe illnesses, explaining that becoming a father has brought new meaning to the event.
On Tuesday evening, Prince Harry spoke at the WellChild Awards and explained how the event never fails to “inspire” him.
“My wife and I feel incredibly privileged to be able to join you once again at this year’s WellChild Awards, and to be in a room with such amazing human beings,” the 35-year-old royal began.
“It has been over a decade since I first came to these Awards and every year they never fail to surprise and inspire me.
“Yet this year, it resonates in a different way, because now I’m a father.”
Prince Harry recalled how, when he and the Duchess of Sussex attended the ceremony last year, Meghan was pregnant but the couple had not yet shared the news with the world.
“Last year when my wife and I attended we knew we were expecting our first child," he said. "No one else did at the time, but we did – and I remember…”
The royal trailed off as he appeared to fight back tears when the event's host, TV presenter Gaby Roslin, stepped forward to comfort him.
"Sorry," Harry said, laughing. He continued: “I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day, and more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time.
“And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heart strings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own.”
The royal went on to explain that no parent wants to see their child suffer from a severe illness.
"And yet, after meeting all of the WellChild parents and the kids themselves over the years, you’ve managed to give all of us a sense of optimism, a sense of hope and strength that no professional, no bestselling book and no amount of advice can ever give any of us," he said.
"So thank you for being you.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments