Prince Harry jokes about ‘challenging’ sibling relationship at charity dinner amid rift with William
HARRY joked about the “challenging” relationship between siblings during a speech at his glitzy charity gala.
The Duke joked and laughed with seriously ill children at the WellChild Awards.
Harry asked Declan Bitmead, 17, winner of the 15-28 inspirational youth award, about his family and the young man replied that he has an older brother.
Harry asked, “Does he drive you crazy?”
When Declan replied “no, we’re fine” Harry replied “we’re brothers and sisters”.
And when told his brother went to the same school, Harry said: “We went to the same school, which sometimes makes things harder.”
Harry and William have barely spoken to each other since Megxit.
The Duke has slated his older sibling in his memoir Spare claiming he was knocked to the ground in a fight and dumped on his family in a six-part Netflix series and Oprah Winfrey interview.
During the ceremony, Prince Harry presented the Award for Inspirational Child, aged four to six, to Esmée McGlinchey from Stoke-on-Trent.
The six-year-old continues to smile despite facing daily medical challenges and having already undergone an incredible 35 surgeries.
Harry said in his speech: “For two decades, this event has shone a bright spotlight on the needs of children and young people living with complex medical conditions.
“But more than that, it has celebrated something far bigger – your courage, your resilience, and the extraordinary love of the families and carers who never stop showing up.”
He continued: “I still remember my very first WellChild Awards, eighteen years ago. 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.
“Since those early days, 311 WellChild Award winners have inspired us with their bravery. Today, a 53-strong team of WellChild Nurses are out there making an enormous difference. Add to that a community of more than 3,600 families, plus support programmes reaching even further, and you see the real impact of what has been built here.
“More than ever, WellChild’s mission must be our shared priority. Tonight, I’d ask each of you to think about how you can play your part, whether through support, awareness, or action, to help advance this crucial work”
The Inspirational Young Person Award winner was given to 17-year-old Declan Bitmead, from Surrey, who more than £25,000 for charity.
Meanwhile the Special Recognition Award was presented to 13-year-old Grace Tutt from Kent, who rebuilt her life after a serious road accident.
And, the Nurse Award winner was crowned as Helen Tooby, from West Yorkshire.
Harry’s speech came after he arrived at a glitzy charity bash earlier this evening – just miles away from Princess Kate and Wills.
The Duke jetted in from California this morning for a four-day visit to attend the WellChild Awards in London.
Earlier today, he visited his grandmother’s final resting place in Windsor to mark the third anniversary of her death.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Princess Kate paid their own tribute at a Women’s Institute event in Berkshire, a mere 8 miles away.
Just a few hours later, Harry rushed back to London to attend the WellChild charity bash, and was seen walking the red carpet on the way in.
Hours after paying his respects to the late Queen Harry rushed off to attend the WellChild charity’s annual awards event.
Historian and royal expert Hugo Vickers has weighed in on Harry’s return to the UK, saying the Queen would be devastated if the couple did not see each other, despite their close proximity.
He called Harry a “distraction” that has made the Queen “very unhappy over the last few years”.
In an exclusive chat with The Sun, Mr Vickers said the Queen was always disappointed when Harry left and compared the Duke to a nanny in his later years.
He said the Queen would be heartbroken to see her grandson’s life after his controversial move to the US.
“I suspect she would be very upset to see Harry now,” Mr Vickers added.
“Whereas before he took on a lot of important responsibilities, like what the Queen, Prince William and the King are doing now – very important things.
“Today, he is involved in public activities, private activities as well as organizations and charitable activities that are often quite modest.
“As I have said many times before, the royal family is working for us, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
“They are giving their lives, they are serving. This is the complete opposite of what Prince Harry usually does.
“I mean, admittedly, with this charity, okay, he’s supporting it. Hopefully it’ll do some good.
“And I’d like to see him doing more of that, and less of the back burner on Meghan Markle’s cooking show.”
Mr Vickers said he was pleased the Duke had paid his respects privately despite rifts within the royal family that developed in the final years of Queen Elizabeth’s life.
“I’m sure he missed his grandmother, but the sad thing is he caused her a lot of grief in the last few years of her life, and he caused her a lot of trouble, and he probably felt quite guilty about that,” he said.
But Mr Vickers believes the Duke regrets his previous actions and said the whole situation was “very sad”.
However, he went on to say the rift was “caused by Harry” and said the firm may have felt the once-beloved prince had chosen a “safe way out” while the rest of the family continued to carry out their duties.
“I really feel sorry for him, just on a human level,” the royal historian said. “He was obviously very close to his grandmother.
“There are some great clips of them together.
“Frankly, most people who give up on their mission and try to follow the path of happiness often regret it.”
Mr Vickers added that it was regrettable that the company could not come together to mourn the passing of the late Queen.
The somber day saw the royal family split up, mourning privately and Harry travelling alone to his grandmother’s resting place.
“In terms of paying tribute to her, I’m glad he did it himself, because I think it was appropriate,” Mr Vickers said.
“It’s unfortunate that there’s not been a unified expression of grief, I guess, but that’s unlikely to happen.
“I’m glad he’s gone and I hope he finds some comfort.”
However, Mr Vickers added that speculation about whether Harry had met any members of his estranged family was still circulating and was a constant distraction.
Mr Vickers said it was unfortunate the Duke of Sussex was always a “distraction” when visiting the UK.
Mr Vickers told The Sun: “He comes here occasionally to do charity work, which I really commend, because that’s what he’s trained to do, and he’s very good at it.
“I think we’ve seen him do that a little bit more recently than last year – and in a way, that’s encouraging.
“The unfortunate thing is, of course, every time he appears, he attracts a lot of speculation and attention. Will he see his father again? Will he see his brother again?
“And unfortunately, he’s always a distraction, but let’s hope his visit at least helps the charity he’s here to support.”
Mr Vickers believes the King has left the door open for the Duke of Sussex to return and reconcile with his father and the rest of the firm.
However, if Harry can swallow his pride and apologise, royal experts say he could find his way back to his family.
And Mr Vickers said this was “good for everyone”.
“He should apologise to them,” said the royal historian. “I think it would be very beneficial for him to reconcile with his father.
“If he doesn’t, and something happens to his father, he’ll feel bad about it, and he has enough to feel bad about, without that.
“I’m sure the king will see him if he behaves properly.
“But I think it would be in everyone’s interest to reconcile, if possible, at least to reach some friendly terms.
“Honestly, this is often doable if both parties are willing to compromise.”
Unfortunately, Mr Vickers sees little chance of that happening under current circumstances.
He certainly doesn’t see any warm reconciliation with Prince William in the near future, as the relationship between the two brothers has been severely damaged.
The royal historian believes the Prince of Wales was “deeply saddened by his brother’s behaviour”.
Of course, it’s always much more difficult when you’re very close to someone, he added.
“The two brothers were very, very close. And I think their mother would be very sad, and honestly, their grandmother too.”
Mr Vickers expressed concerns about Harry’s trip to visit his late grandmother.
Harry arrived in the UK from his home in California earlier today.
The Duke laid a wreath and flowers during a private visit to his grandmother at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, this morning.
At the same time, the Prince and Princess of Wales were in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to attend an event in memory of the late Queen.
A Range Rover, believed to be carrying the Duke of Sussex, left the Windsor Suite at Heathrow Airport shortly after Harry’s flight landed.
It is not yet clear whether Harry will meet any members of the firm, with his father, King Charles, not having seen the Duke for 19 months.
