Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, appears without Meghan for seventh time in a week

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the 2024 WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, where he revealed he has “at least six” spare versions of one of his 3-year-old daughter Lilibet’s favourite toys. Photo / Getty Images

• The Duke of Sussex returned to the UK this month, attending the WellChild Awards, which honour seriously ill children.
• Prince Harry has been a patron of the charity behind the event for 16 years.
• It was his seventh appearance without Meghan in seven days. The UK visit came in the middle of a busy fortnight, with the Duke attending charitable events around the world, without the Duchess of Sussex.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, returned to London for the WellChild Awards, which honour seriously ill children, and met many of the young recipients, their parents and celebrity ambassadors including Beverley Knight and Oti Mabuse after the ceremony on Monday.

He was reunited with Noah Nicholson, 6, and admired a photograph of their first meeting five years ago at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, noting he was still clutching “Raffy”, the same giraffe toy attached to a soft blanket.

The comforter toys are known in the US as “loveys”.

He said: “Is this the same one? No way.”

“Every parent has a spare. I’ve got at least six spare.”

He added: “My daughter Lili has these loveys.”

The Duke later presented an award to Noah and gave a speech to the children and parents gathered for the ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

As he saluted the “little legends” gathered before him, he said: “Keep being you. You’ve got this, and we’ve got you.”

There was laughter and applause as someone in the crowd yelled: “We’ve got you too!”

The Duke has been patron of WellChild since 2007 and makes a point of attending its annual awards ceremony.

He said: “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, endless appointments, that remind us all of the strength of the human spirit.”

Noah Nicholson reunited with the Duke after their first meeting five years ago. Photo / Getty Images

“As a parent, I know a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting, but when I hear about the care that many of you, mums, dads or family members provide, the level of ‘round-the-clock care that you offer, the skills you had to learn, 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.”

The Duke’s brief return to the UK fell in the middle of a hectic fortnight in which he is criss-crossing the globe, without the Duchess of Sussex, to promote his own charitable interests.

The award ceremony came after five high-profile speeches in New York last week on behalf of his various charities, as well as a star turn in a skit on US comedy show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Prince Harry presented an award at the Wellchild Awards. Photo / Getty Images

The Duke then flew back to California to be reunited with the Duchess and their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, before flying to London this weekend.

He did not stay at a royal residence and was not expected to meet with his father, King Charles, who is in Scotland, or his brother, the Prince of Wales.

After the award ceremony, he was due to head to southern Africa, where he will visit Lesotho two decades after his first visit, which was made during his gap year, to promote Sentebale, the charity he founded in 2006.

At an event on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York last week, he described the country as “a home away from home”.

He said the tiny landlocked nation, and its royal family, had been “a pillar of strength” for him personally over the last 20 years and had welcomed him “with open arms and such kindness.”