Prince Harry Says He Knows “A Little About the Emotional Rollercoaster of Parenting” as He Attends Wellchild Awards During Rare UK Visit

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.

Prince Harry's speech at the 2024 WellChild Awards
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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.

Prince Harry at Well Child Awards
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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.

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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.