Prince Harry affectionately told WellChild award winner her blue ‘princess dress’ was ‘great’, seven-year-old reveals
Prince Harry affectionately told one of the WellChild award winners that her dress was ‘great’, she has revealed during an appearance on This Morning today.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, arrived in Britain yesterday to attend the WellChild Awards at the Hurlingham Club in London – an event he said he ‘looks forward to each year’.
The awards ceremony took place on the eve of the first anniversary of the death of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The UK’s longest-serving monarch died at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
During the engagement, the royal met award winner Poppy Higham, 7, from Runcorn, who arrived at the event in a blue ball gown and tiara.
Appearing on This Morning today alongside her mother Stacey, Poppy revealed how she had sat with Prince Harry for dinner at the awards, saying: ‘He said my dress was great.’
Prince Harry, 38, affectionately told Poppy Higham, 7, one of the WellChild award winners, that her dress was ‘great’, she has revealed during an appearance on This Morning today
Appearing on This Morning today alongside her mother Stacey, Poppy revealed how she had sat with Prince Harry for dinner at the awards
Stacey explained that Poppy cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige on the programme, saying: ‘I nominated Poppy last year because life at home is very difficult.
‘We’ve had two hospital birthdays in hospital the last two years in a row. even though it’s sad she hasn’t been home, we’ve made the best of it.’
Meanwhile Poppy said she ‘adores’ her sister Paige, who suffers from West syndrome.
It means she has seizures every day, needs 24-hour care and oxygen at home 24/7.
Meeting Prince Harry last night, Poppy danced to music by Ed Sheeran in front of Harry, to which he gave warm applause.
The duke then played around with a giraffe balloon and showed Poppy its rotating head, prompting the youngster to pick it up and play with it.
Poppy, who cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige, said she enjoyed speaking to Harry about ‘my dancing, Disney and the awards’.
Her 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. I think she just takes it in her stride.’
The Duke of Sussex was in London to celebrate the achievements and resilience of seriously-ill children and their families who are supported by WellChild, an organisation he has been a patron of for 15 years.
Harry is currently visiting Britain without his wife Meghan and their children Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, who have remained at home in Montecito, California.
Poppy said she ‘adores’ her sister Paige on the programme as she appeared alongisde her mother this morning
Meeting Prince Harry last night, Poppy danced to music by Ed Sheeran in front of Harry, to which he gave warm applause
The duke then played around with a giraffe balloon and showed Poppy its rotating head, prompting the youngster to pick it up and play with it
Poppy, who cares for her 17-year-old sister Paige, said she enjoyed speaking to Harry about ‘my dancing, Disney and the awards’
The seven-year-old performed a dance for the Duke of Sussex after meeting him backstage at the awards
The royal, making his first appearance in the UK since June, cut a relaxed figure as he sat with seriously ill children and their families during a pre-ceremony reception.
He spoke with them about their interests and hobbies and had several interactions with their accompanying balloons, which were shaped as different animals.
The Duke sat down with each young award winner in turn before chatting to adult winners at the reception, which lasted just under an hour.
He fist-bumped two of the boys receiving Inspirational Young Person awards – George Hall, 11, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, and Blake McCaughey, 15, from Tandragee in County Armagh.
Blake and his family gifted Harry a green Belfast Giants ice hockey shirt, personalised with the duke’s name on the back.
The pair then talked about Blake’s tiger balloon, and Harry asked him ‘Do you want to take this home with you?’ to which the teenager shook his head.
He had earlier shown the same feature to Hayley Cassin, from Rotherham, winner of the Inspirational Young Person aged 12-14 category.
Noting that each winner’s balloon represented a different animal, Harry asked: ‘Is the theme Madagascar?’
A host of famous faces, including former Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, were also attending last night’s event.
Harry regularly attends WellChild’s annual awards ceremony, but the Duchess of Sussex, a guest at past events, did not join him this evening.
Last year’s awards were held on the day the Queen died, forcing Harry and Meghan to withdraw from the event as the Duke flew to Scotland to be with other members of the royal family.
Harry said in his memoir published in January that his father had told him that Meghan was not invited to accompany him to the family’s Scottish estate. Kate, William’s wife, also did not go to Balmoral.
