Prince Harry has been given hearts “filled with love” by an inspirational young girl at an awards ceremony in London during a rare visit to the UK.
Scarlett Cripps, 10, who was being presented with an Inspirational Award at the WellChild Awards on Monday, gave the Duke of Sussex four glass hearts – one for him, one for his wife Meghan, and one for each of his children, Archie and Lilibet.
The awards, held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel, celebrated the inspiring qualities of some of the country’s seriously ill young people, as well as the health, social care and education professionals who go the extra mile to keep them healthy and happy.
During the ceremony, Harry praised the “little legends” for “uplifting all those around you”.
“Thank you for your courage, your perseverance, your kindness and of course your humour,” he continued.
“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.”
Scarlett, who has a serious brain malformation and extensive spinal syrinx, saves up her pocket money to buy new toys for hospital wards.
She told Prince Harry, who has been a WellChild patron for 16 years, that she wanted to give him something because he wasn’t getting an award.
She added the hearts were filled with love for him to squeeze if he ever got sad.
Harry replied: “My award is being here with you guys.”
Scarlett saves up her pocket money to buy new toys for hospital wards
The charity’s chief executive Matt James said the duke’s involvement was “huge for us”.
He added: “It does two things, it allows us to give our inspiring winners a night they will never forget, a night that will always stay with them.
“But also, it provides us with a platform to tell their stories which is really important for a group of families whose challenges often go unrecognised and misunderstood.”
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There has been no confirmation on how long Harry is staying in the UK and his team has said it is not commenting on his travel plans or family matters.
When he was in London in May for an Invictus Games event, it was confirmed Harry wouldn’t be seeing his father because of his busy diary.
The King, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, is currently in Scotland. He is due in London for a Commonwealth event on Wednesday.