On Thursday, the British charity WellChild announced that longtime patron Prince Harry will be present to hand out awards at their annual London ceremony early next month. After missing the WellChild Awards in 2022, due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the prince will travel to the UK to honor one of his longest-running charitable connections on September 7, two days before the 2023 Invictus Games are set to begin in Dusseldorf.
“For over four decades, WellChild has been transforming the lives of children and young people across the UK, providing critical care that prioritizes the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of these individuals and their families,” the prince in a statement to Hello. “The courage and strength embodied by these young people – and the tireless devotion of those who support them – never cease to inspire me. I’m honoured to attend this year’s awards ceremony and celebrate their incredible work.”
Page Six reports that Harry won’t be joined by his wife, Meghan Markle, because she has previous commitments with the couple’s two children, Archie and Lilibet. The trip will mark Harry’s third trip to the UK this calendar year, following his brief appearance at the May 6 coronation ceremony, and his testimony in a witness box for his suit against Mirror Newspaper Group.
This year’s WellChild event will take place the night before the anniversary of the death of the late queen, but according to the Daily Mail, Harry has no plans to see King Charles III or Prince William during his visit. A source told the tabloid that relations between Harry and his family remain “firmly rooted at rock bottom.”
The late queen died at Balmoral on September 8, 2022, and the king arrived at the estate for his summer vacation earlier this week. Earlier this month, a palace spokesperson announced that there would be no public events held to commemorate the day and Charles plans to spend the day quietly and privately, but a source told The Sun that there was no outreach to Harry and Meghan about any private events to observe the day.
Harry has been the patron of WellChild, which supports children with disabilities and their families, since 2007. Though Harry has been a frequent guest at their annual award ceremony, he hasn’t been able to attend in person since 2019, when Harry gave an emotional speech about his early experiences as a parent. The ceremony was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and though Harry didn’t attend the official 2021 ceremony, he and Ed Sheeran attended a private party for the charity in July of that year.
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