Prince Harry on the ’emotional rollercoaster of parenting’

The Duke of Sussex has appeared at the WellChild Awards in London as he makes a whirlwind trip back to the UK.
Prince Harry was the guest of honour at the event, which recognises seriously ill children and their families.
But he is not expected to meet his father King Charles, or brother Prince William, during the trip.
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His wife, Meghan, remained in California, with their two children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, who Harry referenced in a speech given on stage during the awards.
“As a parent, I know a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting,” Prince Harry said, at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday evening (early Tuesday morning in Australia).
“But, when I hear about the care many of you mums, dads, and family members provide; the level of round-the-clock care you offer; the skills you’ve had to learn; and the battles for support that you fight every single day – I am truly in awe.”
“You are all incredible, and your love and dedication are nothing short of heroic,” he continued.
During the event, Prince Harry was reunited with Noah Nicholson, six, and his mum Tracy, five years after their first meeting at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
While looking at photos from 2019, the duke noticed Noah was carrying the same giraffe toy attached to a soft blanket.
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“Is this the same one? No way,” Harry said. “Every parent has a spare. I’ve got at least six spare.”
He added: “My daughter Lili has these Lovies [also known as blankies]”.
In his speech on stage while presenting the award for Inspirational Child (aged four to six), Prince Harry praised all the children being honoured, and their parents and carers.
“I salute you. We salute you. Thank you for your courage, your perseverance, your kindness, and of course your humour. 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. So keep being you. You’ve got this. And we’ve got you,” he continued.
The duke has been patron of the charity for 16 years and it is one of a few patronages he was able to retain after stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020.
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Prince Harry’s appearance at the WellChild Awards is his seventh public event in the past week, all done without the Duchess of Sussex.
He made five appearances in New York last week connected to his various charities, followed by a skit on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Prince Harry then briefly returned to California to see his family before flying to London.
He’ll next visit Lesotho, in southern Africa, for a series of engagements to promote Sentebale, the charity he founded in 2006. It will be 20 years since Prince Harry spent a gap year in the country, where he was inspired to create the charity which helps vulnerable children in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi affected by extreme poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
During an event in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week, Prince Harry described Lesotho as “a home away from home”.
Each time Prince Harry visits the UK, he is required to give 30 days’ notice of his travel plans so each visit can be assessed on its merits.
Due to his ongoing security concerns, the duke has once again chosen to stay at a hotel instead of one of the royal residences.
He lost a High Court challenge earlier this year over his right to state-funded security and his appeal against the ruling will be heard next April.
Prince Harry has previously said it is too dangerous to bring his wife or children to the UK, fearing a “knife or acid” attack.
The King is still in Scotland, staying at Balmoral, and is not expected to see Harry before he leaves for Africa.
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They are last believed to have met, face to face, in February, when Prince Harry made a brief return to London when King Charles announced he had been diagnosed with cancer.
The pair spent around 40 minutes together inside Clarence House.
Prince Harry was last in the UK in late August for the funeral of his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. Prince William was also at the service but the brothers did not speak, according to witnesses.
The duke stayed at the Althorp Estate, the childhood home of his late mother, Diana, at the invitation of her brother Earl Spencer.
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