Prince Harry has said his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II is ‘looking down on all of us’ on the eve of the first anniversary of her death.
The Duke of Sussex, who is visiting London to attend Thursday night’s WellChild Awards ceremony, reflected on the last 12 months without the late monarch in a speech.
He missed the awards last year as he raced to Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to join his family at the Queen’s bedside.
In his speech, he said: ‘As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away.
‘As you also probably know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her, and that’s precisely why I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together, continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.’
On his first visit to the UK since giving evidence at a London court in June, the duke sat down with seriously ill children and their families at The Hurlingham Club in the south-west of the city.
Seven-year-old Poppy Higham from Runcorn, who won an award at the ceremony, danced to a song by Ed Sheeran in front of Harry – prompting warm applause from him.
Poppy, who cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige, later said she had talked to the duke about ‘my dancing, Disney and the awards’.
He father Daniel said: ‘We’re so proud of it (the award) – it’s amazing.
‘She just makes our life a lot easier sometimes when it’s not going right, she just gets on with it.’
Harry, who has been a WellChild patron for 15 years, gave fist bumps to two of the boys receiving Inspirational Young Person awards – George Hall, 11, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, and Blake McCaughey, 15, from Tandragee, Co Armagh.
Blake and his family gifted Harry a green Belfast Giants ice hockey shirt, personalised with the duke’s name on the back.
It is unclear if the duke, who visited London without his wife Meghan, will attend any formal memorial events to mark a year since the Queen’s death tomorrow.
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