Prince Harry has appeared in a new video urging people to nominate “incredible” children for the upcoming WellChild Awards. Harry has been a patron of the charity, which provides care for seriously ill children and young people across the UK, for 18 years.
In his message, the Duke of Sussex said: “Every year, one of the moments I look forward to the most is spending time with the incredible children and families that I meet through the WellChild Awards. These children and young people are living with complex medical needs, challenges that most of us can barely imagine. And yet time and again they meet life with positivity, courage, humour and an extraordinary joy for living.
“In their smiles, their determination and their kindness, they show us what strength truly looks like. The WellChild Awards is a truly special evening. It’s about celebrating these remarkable young people. It’s about recognising the siblings who so often put their own needs aside to care for a brother or sister. And of course it’s about honouring the parents, the carers, the nurses and professionals who give so much of themselves every single day with dedication, love and compassion.”
He continued: “But these awards can only happen with your help. So, if you know a child who’s learned hospital routines before playground games, a sibling who quietly became a carer or a parent or professional whose life revolves around constant selfless care, please nominate them for a WellChild Award. They might be a friend in a different part of the United Kingdom, or a stranger you see in your community every single week. We want to hear about them.
“By nominating, you’re not just recognising an achievement, you’re telling a story. You’re shining a light on extraordinary bravery, on resilience and kindness that’s happening in communities across the United Kingdom every day – often unseen and too often uncelebrated. So thank you. Thank you for supporting WellChild, and please get nominating. We very much hope to see some of you at the 2026 WellChild Awards.”
Nominations will close on 16 March 2026, and people can choose to nominate in categories including Inspirational Child or Young Person, Inspirational Parent or Carer and Inspirational Health Professional.
Over the past two decades, WellChild has honoured 311 award winners and now has a team of 53 specialist nurses supporting children and young people with serious medical conditions and their families.
Harry’s support for the charity
Harry has been a patron of the charity for 18 years and always attends the annual awards ceremony, which is held in September, making it a priority despite his decision to leave the United Kingdom in 2020. The only ceremony he has missed in recent years was in 2022, due to the death of his grandmother, the late Queen.
Giving a speech at last year’s ceremony, Harry reflected on his patronage, saying: “I still remember my very first WellChild Awards, eighteen years ago, before the beard, the hair, you know how it is, I walked into the room, and within about three minutes I realised two things: the love and energy in the room was palpable, so too was the unpredictability!
“And second, that I was completely hooked on it all. This night has been a highlight of my year ever since and it’s all because of you guys – these children, this cause, and our WellChild community. Thank you for showing us the light when all too often darkness can consume us.”
When HELLO! met Harry
HELLO! spoke to the royal last year as he attended the awards, and he explained how his life has changed since becoming a parent.
“I think once you become a parent yourself, everything changes,” he said. “It’s emotional enough not being a parent and seeing what these families go through, but then when you have your own kids or when you’re expecting your own kids, that’s when it really hits you.”
Recalling the moving moment he welled up at the 2018 Awards, when he and his wife, Meghan Markle, were expecting their firstborn, Archie, he adds: “And I remember one of these years, I choked up on stage, and that was exactly it. I am so grateful to have healthy kids.”
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