Prince Harry attends WellChild Awards

The Duke of Sussex was back in London to attend the 20th anniversary of the WellChild Awards.

Prince Harry attended the awards, organised by the charity WellChild, as the patron of the organisation.

The Duke spent time with the children and their families at a pre-ceremony reception. At one point, Harry was seen playing with balloon swords with a young child in a wheelchair.

The WellChild Awards celebrate the achievements of seriously ill children and their caretakers. This year, six-year-old Esmée McGlinchey was presented with the Award for Inspirational Child by Prince Harry.

WellChild said McGlinchey “brings smiles wherever she goes, despite facing daily medical challenges and having already undergone an incredible 35 surgeries in her short life.”

The Duke of Sussex also addressed the attendees, praising the awards for the way they celebrate children who are ill.

“For two decades, this event has shone a bright spotlight on the needs of children and young people living with complex medical conditions. But more than that, it has celebrated something far bigger – your courage, your resilience, and the extraordinary love of the families and carers who never stop showing up,” he said.

The Inspirational Young Person Award went to 17-year-old Declan Bitmead for surviving a life-threatening reaction to a treatment and raising over £25,000 for charity. Grace Tutt, 13, won the Special Recognition Award for how she rebuilt her life after a serious car crash, and Helen Tooby won the Nurse Award for her work as a WellChild nurse.

The 2025 WellChild Awards took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in association with GSK. The Duke of Sussex has been the patron of WellChild for 17 years.