Prince Harry Says He Knows \201cA Little About the Emotional Rollercoaster of Parenting\201d as He Attends Wellchild Awards During Rare UK Visit

The Duke of Sussex traveled to London to honor children battling serious illnesses.

Prince Harry wearing a suit and tie smiling at the WellChild Awards 2024
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry is paying a visit home to London on Sept. 30 for a cause close to his heart. The Duke of Sussex attended the annual WellChild Awards to pay tribute to seriously ill young people and their families, and in his speech, he touched on his own experiences as a dad.

Speaking during a ceremony held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in Paddington, Prince Harry said the event—which he has attended 12 times in his role as the charity's patron—"never fails to inspire" him.

Continuing that the children and carers in the room "remind us all of the strength of the human spirit," the duke said he was "truly in awe" of the families present at the awards, especially as a father himself.

Harry—who shares 3-year-old Princess Lilibet and 5-year-old Prince Archie with wife Meghan Markle—told the audience he knows "a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting."

However, he said that he was especially moved by hearing about "the care that many of you mums dads and family members provide," calling out the "superhero parents" in the crowd.

In addition to speaking at the event, Prince Harry met with some of the inspirational young people and their families to hear more about their stories.

The Duke of Sussex, who has served as WellChild's patron since 2007, has attended the awards both solo and with his wife over the years, bringing the duchess to the event in 2018 and 2019.

Prince Harry also brought up how being a father has changed his perspective on life during his visit to NYC for UN Climate Week, telling audiences that he's become even more determined to change the world through charities like The HALO Trust and his Archewell Foundation's Parents' Network.

October will bring another series of engagements related to young people for Harry, who will visit Lesotho and South Africa on behalf of his charity Sentebale, which supports disadvantaged youth in Southern Africa.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Read more
Prince Harry looks pensive, he is shown with his family, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet in the garden of their Montecito home
Prince Harry Reveals His Favorite Thing About Raising Lilibet and Archie in California
Prince Harry and a man smiling and holding green jerseys that say Lilibet and Archie in a basketball arena
Prince Harry Says "Curious" Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet "Have No Filter" When It Comes to Asking About Invictus Games
Princess Diana wearing a protective visor and Halo Trust mine vest walking through a field covered with red caution signs
How Prince Archie Has Been Learning About His Grandma Princess Diana's Charity Work
Meghan Markle waving in a white puffer jacket on stage with lights behind her
Why Meghan Markle Left the Invictus Games Early
Prince Harry wears a khaki green shirt and smiles at the Invictus Games 2025 in Canada
Prince Harry Had a Royal Family Reunion at the Invictus Games With Two Unexpected Royals
Meghan Markle wears a green and white leaf-print dress, and applauds next to husband Prince Harry
Why Archie and Lilibet Aren't at the Invictus Games in Canada With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope