Prince Harry attended the poignant WellChild Awards in London tonight where he met inspirational children being recognised by the charity – and while meeting one little boy, he revealed a sweet detail about daughter Princess Lilibet

Prince Harry shared a rare detail about daughter Princess Lilibet during his long-awaited return trip to the UK – where he was upstaged by a boisterious little boy.

Harry was seen beaming as he swept into London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel to meet children, teenagers and their parents who have been recognised with awards from the charity WellChild. The Duke of Sussex, who travelled without his wife Meghan Markle, attended the ceremony in London as the charity’s patron of 15 years. He looked relaxed as he began one of only a handful of events he now stages in the UK, following his move to America with his family.

Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards tonight ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Harry’s young daughter Princess Lilibet ( 
Image:
PA)

However, he was upstaged by a youngster who threw his toys away during an awards night and laughed as Harry picked them up. The duke met seven-year-old Noah Nicholson – who has complex medical conditions. Noah has cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease and other serious health issues, but his mother, Tracey Nicholson, 42, from Grimsby, said he remains happy and positive and lives life to the full. The little boy brought his prized comfort toys – George the cat and Ratty the Giraffe in the shape of a blanket – and delighted in throwing them on to the floor. When Ms Nicholson apologised for her son’s antics, Harry, who is WellChild’s patron, replied: “Don’t apologise, I love it.”

Harry recognised Ratty the Giraffe and called the blanket comforter ‘lovey’, a name used in American, and said: “Every parent has about six spare”. And he also revealed that his daughter three-year-old Lilibet is a fan of the toys and said: “My daughter Lili has these Lovies.” At one point Noah, who has brain damage and won the most Inspirational Child aged four to six, grabbed Harry’s beard and made him grin.

Noah’s mother said afterwards: “He’s in constant pain but is always happy and smiley. He’s just a very excitable boy and when he’s around people he just loves it. Nothing ever gets him down, he never cries unless the pain gets the better of him. He’s seriously ill fighting for his life so much, but he’s so happy.”

Harry meets with seven-year-old Noah

Harry speaks to one of the WellChild Award winners

As WellChild’s patron for more than 15 years, Harry has regularly attended the awards ceremony staged by the organisation, the national charity for seriously ill children and their families. After meeting the award winners and presenting them with their prizes, Harry later gave a speech where he hailed those honoured as “little legends” and talked about the rollercoaster of parenting.

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, and endless appointments, remind us all of the strength of the human spirit.

“For many of us, it is a daily life we can hardly imagine, and yet somehow, the young people I meet are always smiling and every room they walk into seemingly lights up with warmth and positivity. So keep being you. You’ve got this. And we’ve got you.

“As a parent, I know a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting! But, when I hear about the care many of you mums, dads, and family members provide; the level of round-the-clock care you offer; the skills you’ve had to learn; and the battles for support that you fight every single day—I am truly in awe.