Prince Harry has made his eagerly anticipated return to the United Kingdom  (8 September).

The Duke of Sussex, who stepped down as a working senior royal alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, before relocating to the US in 2020, made the trip to attend the WellChild awards ceremony in London in his role as the charity’s patron, a position he has held for more than 15 years.

During the event set to take place this evening, the father-of-two will make a speech, meet and talk to seriously ill children and their families and present an award to an ‘inspirational child’ aged between four and six.

In a statement ahead of the visit, Harry said: “For 20 years these awards have highlighted the courage of young people living with complex health needs and shone a light on the devoted caregivers – family and professionals – who support them every step of the way.

“Their stories remind us of the power of compassion, connection and community.”

Proceedings have also coincided with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s third anniversary of her death.

Paying his respects privately, Harry travelled to her tomb in the King George VI Memorial Chapel within Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel and laid down two gifts in her memory.

He laid a wreath and flowers as he paid his respects.

The Duke was last seen in the UK months back in May, when he lost a long-running legal battle with the Home Office over changes to his security arrangements.

There has been a fair amount of speculation about whether Harry will see his father, King Charles III, who is receiving ongoing cancer treatment and was in Scotland at the weekend.

Harry’s visit follows recent images obtained by the Mail on Sunday showing senior aides to Charles and Harry during a meeting, in what was reported to be a step towards restoring the relationship between the Duke and the wider royal family.

When speaking of a possible ‘reconciliation’ between the father-son duo, a US source previously claimed there is ‘determination on both sides to make this happen’.

The source reportedly said: “Nobody is pretending the wider family issues have been resolved, but this is about beginning with Charles and Harry.

“For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach. Prince Harry’s team and the Palace have opened a line of communication, and there is every hope that father and son will see one another when the Duke returns to London in September.”

However, the source also alleged that such a meeting wouldn’t take place between Harry and his brother, Prince William.

The outlet states that the source added: “As for Harry and William, though, any chance of reconciliation between them has been rejected out of hand.”