Prince Harry left four previous winners of WellChild Awards speechless when he made a surprise appearance on a video call.
The Duke of Sussex, 36, joined the discussion between Maddison, Katie, Marni and Evie from his Santa Barbara mansion on December 4 and praised their incredible bravery and optimism.
The youngsters discussed what receiving their awards had meant to them, while Harry, who is patron of the organisation, discussed the inclusive community WellChild has fostered over the years.
The cheerful Duke burst into laughter at one point when, after asking Maddison who she would nominate for an award, she replied: ‘My mum’ – before admitting her mother was pointing at herself out of shot.
Prince Harry left four previous winners of WellChild Awards speechless when he made a surprise appearance on a Zoom call. The Duke of Sussex, 36, joined the discussion between Maddison, Katie, Marni and Evie from his Santa Barbara mansion on December 4 and praised their incredible bravery and optimism
The WellChild Awards celebrates the inspiring qualities of some of the country’s seriously ill young people and the dedication of those who go the extra mile to keep children healthy and happy, including the outstanding health, social care and education professionals.
Harry said: ‘The children and young people of WellChild are at the very heart of this charity because you guys just know who you are and don’t pretend to be anybody else and because of that you inspire every single nurse, every single care giver, every single mum, every single dad, every single sibling. And outside of the WellChild community as well you are inspiring people every single day.’
When the Duke arrived on the call, he commented on how much all the children have grown since the last time he’d met them.
‘I don’t even recognise some of you, since it has been what – two, maybe three years for some of you. How are you guys doing?’ he said.
Evie explained that they’d been talking about how positive the awards had been and how much it meant to them to have a celebration of their achievements.
‘I think we all need to focus on that and I definitely carried that through – right until now – and I continue to carry it through,’ she told the prince.
‘And anything that encourages that further to keep that momentum going and encourage us all to focus on what we can do is so useful and important.’
The cheerful Duke burst into laughter at one point when, after asking Maddison who she would nominate for an award, she replied: ‘My mum’ – before admitting her mother was pointing at herself out of shot
Asked by Harry if her mother was stood next to her pointing to herself, Maddison nodded – at which point the Duke urged her to give him a wave
Prince Harry asked the children how they’d been coping in lockdown. Maddison admitted she’d found it ‘quite boring’ but enjoyed spending time with her family.
Harry then asked who she would nominate for an award out of the people she’d met in 2020, to which she replied with a smile: ‘My mum.’
Asked by Harry if her mother was egging her on, she nodded – at which point the Duke urged the proud parent to give him a wave.
He added: ‘By the way that was the perfect answer – to choose your mum was absolutely spot on.’
When Prince Harry asked what it takes to win a WellChild Award, Evie said: ‘I think you’ve got to find the best in every situation.
Last year Harry choked up during a speech at the awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father. Pictured with wife Meghan Markle
‘Every award winner I was lucky enough to meet was so optimistic – and not because life is easy but because they have made an incredible life with what they have got.’
Harry replied: ‘You’ve kinda hit the nail on the head, all of you. Your bravery, your strength, your optimism, your everything is just so unbelievably inspiring and incredibly refreshing as well.
‘And you are so right Evie, every single one of you is in a unique situation.’
Encouraging people to cast nominations for the Awards in 2021, Harry added: ‘There’s never enough time in the day, days in the week to recognise all of your achievements.
‘I think the more we can show that to the rest of the UK, the more of an uplift each of those families will feel because of you guys.’
Last year Harry choked up during a speech at the awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father.
After taking the stage at the event, which was streamed live on the awards’ Facebook page, Harry spoke about how he knew at the previous year’s event that his wife Meghan was pregnant.
As he talked about it he choked back tears and had to stop his speech, with host Gaby Roslin stepping in to pat him on the back, before the crowd cheered at him.
WellChild is the national charity for seriously ill children and their families. Over 100,000 children and young people are living with serious and complex health conditions.
Many require round-the-clock support and can spend months, if not years, in hospital because there isn’t the support to get them home.
Prince Harry choked up, while talking about becoming a father, as he gave a speech at the WellChild awards in 2019
Through a nationwide network of WellChild Children’s Nurses, home makeover projects and family support programmes, WellChild works to give this growing population of children and young people the best chance to thrive – properly supported at home, together with their families.
WellChild was one of the four charities chosen by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to benefit from the generous donations made by the public on the occasion of the birth of their son, Archie Mountbatten Windsor.
To nominate an inspirational child, young person or healthcare professional for 2021 WellChild Awards, visit https://www.wellchild.org.uk/awards/