Prince Harry's love for WellChild: How Duke has been patron of charity that cares for seriously ill children since 2007 - as he returns to UK without Meghan to speak at annual awards

When Prince Harry speaks at the annual WellChild Awards today in his role as the charity's patron, he will be performing a duty that is clearly close to his heart.

The Duke of Sussex , 40, has returned to the UK for the first time since making a secret dash across the Atlantic to attend his uncle's funeral at the end of August.

WellChild is one of the few UK-based organisations that Harry has remained linked with after his departure from royal duties and his move to the United States.

He has held the role of patron for 17 years and chose to retain it when his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, asked him to step down from his other royal patronages when he stopped being a working royal.

WellChild, which supports sick children, was one of four charities that Harry and his wife Meghan Markle chose to encourage donations to instead of gifts to celebrate the upcoming birth of their first child, Prince Archie, in 2019.

Buckingham Palace released a statement one month before Archie's birth explaining how the couple wanted to 'encourage members of the public to make donations to select charities for children and parents in need'.

It went on: 'The Duke and Duchess would be grateful if people wishing to give gifts look to provide their support one of these four organisations,' and listed Little Village, Lunchbox Fund, WellChild and Baby2Baby.

Today's awards will be the 13th time Harry has attended the ceremony.

He is expected to present an award in the category of 'Inspirational Child (aged 4-6)' and give a speech.

Earlier this year, Harry paid tribute to seriously ill children in a video asking for nominations for today's awards.

In the video posted on X he said: 'The WellChild awards is our chance to celebrate the extraordinary strength and spirit of young people with complex medical conditions from across the United Kingdom.

He added: It allows us to shine a spotlight on the resilience and positivity that they demonstrate every single day and to recognise the incredible support from the families and friends and professionals around them.'

The Duke said how it was a 'privilege' to celebrate the work of the charity and called for nominations of 'remarkable individuals'.

Last September, Harry attended the awards at the Hurlingham Club in London, though he missed the previous year's ceremony as it fell on the same day the Queen passed away.

He spoke highly of his late grandmother last year, saying: '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, she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we're together continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.'

Meghan has joined her husband for previous awards ceremonies hosted by WellChild, including in October 2019, five months after they welcomed the birth of their son.

Harry choked up and spoke of how becoming a father himself had opened up his eyes to the challenges that some children face.

He said: '...Talking to all of you as a parent pulls at my heart strings, in a way I never could have understood, until I had a child of my own.

'No parent wants to hear that their child will suffer, that they will face extraordinary challenges that will effect them throughout their lives.'

Harry also founded The Invictus Games in 2014 after he witnessed firsthand how sport can help wounded servicemen and women to recover.

The Duke came to the UK in May to attend a service at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the tenth anniversary of the Games.

There he was supported by his aunt and uncle - Lady Jane Fellowes and Charles Spencer.

Another charity Harry is still involved with is Sentebale, which he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006.

It helps children and adolescents with HIV.

Earlier this year, Harry spoke at an event hosted by the charity and reminisced on his love for Africa before honouring his mother's work on the continent.