Meghan 'won't join' Harry when he returns to UK ahead of poignant date

23 August 2023 , 23:01

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Meghan 'won't join' Harry when he returns to UK ahead of poignant date

Prince Harry is set to return to the UK next month for a charity awards ceremony on a poignant date - but will be without Meghan Markle.

It has been announced that Harry will celebrate the achievements and resilience of seriously ill youngsters and their families supported by WellChild at the event being staged in London on September 7 - the eve of the first anniversary of the late Queen's death.

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to mark the first anniversary of her death privately at their Balmoral estate.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the WellChild Awards in 2019 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Harry has been WellChild's patron for 15 years and regularly attends its annual awards ceremony but is not expected to be joined by Meghan, who has been a guest at past events. She first joined Harry at the annual event in 2018 and during a trip to the awards in 2019, the prince revealed Meghan was pregnant when she attended the previous year and got emotional while delivering a speech.

Meghan had been due to attend the awards alongside her husband last year. However, the 2022 WellChild Awards took place on the day the Queen died, and the couple withdrew from the event with Harry flying to Scotland to be with other members of the royal family.

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The awards ceremony is being held a few days before Harry's Invictus Games – for wounded military personnel and veterans – begins in Dusseldorf, Germany, on September 9 and is staged over eight days. Harry said: "For nearly 20 years, WellChild has been transforming the lives of children and young people across the UK, providing critical care that prioritises the physical, mental and emotional well-being of these individuals and their families."

During the event, the duke will spend time with each winner and their families at a pre-ceremony reception before presenting the award for Inspirational Child (aged four to six) and delivering a speech. Matt James, WellChild chief executive, said: "The number of children and young people in the UK living with long-term, complex medical needs is growing.

"The WellChild Awards 2023, in association with GSK, will be a unique opportunity to shine a light on the immense challenges they face and to celebrate their remarkable resilience and spirit.

"It will also provide an opportunity to recognise the selfless dedication of those around them, from siblings and parent carers to the professionals who have gone above and beyond to give them the very best chance to thrive."

Jennifer Newton