Just hours after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, his most famous nephew appeared on camera with a very different message.
No mention of the scandal. No reference to his disgraced uncle. Instead, Prince Harry, sitting in what looked like a light-filled room of his Montecito home in California, asked the British public to look elsewhere; to hospital wards, family living rooms and over-stretched clinics, and to help him find the UK's 'most courageous unsung heroes.'
'Every year, one of the moments I look forward to the most is spending time with the incredible children and families that I meet through the WellChild Awards,' Harry said in the video, released to launch nominations for the 2026 ceremony. 'These children and young people are living with complex medical needs, challenges that most of us can barely imagine. And yet time and again they meet life with positivity, courage, humour and an extraordinary joy for living.'
For 18 years, Harry has been patron of WellChild, a UK charity that supports seriously ill children and young people so they can be cared for at home whenever possible rather than in hospital.
Earlier today Prince Harry attended The Wellchild Award in London, where he presented awards to the young people and delivered an inspiring speech to the parents and caregivers.pic.twitter.com/6Ou7nCff7g
He described the annual awards as a 'magical' celebration and spoke with evident affection. 'In their smiles, their determination and their kindness, they show us what strength truly looks like,' he said.
WellChild estimates that more than 100,000 children across the UK are living with long-term, complex conditions from severe genetic disorders to cancers and neurological diseases that demand round-the-clock care. The awards, Harry stressed, are not just for the children themselves but for the network around them. 'It's about recognising the siblings who so often put their own needs aside to care for a brother or sister,' he said. 'And of course it's about honouring the parents, the carers, the nurses and professionals who give so much of themselves every single day with dedication, love and compassion.'
'These awards can only happen with your help,' Harry said. 'So, if you know a child who's learned hospital routines before playground games, a sibling who quietly became a carer or a parent or professional whose life revolves around constant selfless care, please nominate them for a WellChild Award.'
WellChild Patron Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, calls for nominations for the 2026#WellChildAwards💜pic.twitter.com/dsvMhSThZv
Harry urged people across the UK to think beyond their immediate circle. 'They might be a friend in a different part of the United Kingdom, or a stranger you see in your community every single week. We want to hear about them.'
Source: International Business Times UK
