Prince Harry released a warm video message on Friday, February 20, celebrating the 2026 WellChild Awards, which honor children with complex health challenges, their families, and caregivers. Harry has been a patron of the charity for 18 years.
“Every year, one of the moments I look forward to the most is spending time with the children and families I meet through the WellChild Awards,” Harry said.
“These children and young people are living with medical challenges most of us can barely imagine. And yet, time and again, they approach life with positivity, courage, humor, and extraordinary joy,” he added.
His further applauded the strength and bravery of the kids and acknowledged how they represent the true meaning of determination.
“It’s about celebrating these remarkable young people, recognizing siblings who often put their own needs aside, and honoring parents, carers, nurses, and professionals who give so much of themselves every single day with dedication, love, and compassion,” he added.
A powerful full-circle moment, Prince Harry supports the same charity his mother once championed.#PrinceHarry #HALOTrust #PrincessDiana #Ukraine #RoyalNews #HumanitarianWork #DukeOfSussex #Legacy #GlobalImpact #WorldNews pic.twitter.com/NPV9ehLxWW
— MEAWW (@meawwofficial) February 14, 2026
Prince Harry urged people to nominate deserving individuals for the awards. “If you know a child who learned hospital routines before playground games, a sibling who quietly became a carer, or a parent or professional whose life revolves around selfless care, please nominate them for a WellChild Award,” he said.
Nominations for the 2026 awards close on March 16, ahead of the ceremony later this year. Last year’s awards took place in September.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 after the birth of their first child and moved to the US.
They also no longer have an official residence in the UK and are no longer referred to as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), but retain the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Additionally, Prince Harry has also given up his military titles.
Prince Harry’s message about the 2026 WellChild Awards comes after the arrest of his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on Thursday, Feb. 19, which also happened to be Andrew’s 66th birthday.
Andrew was taken into custody at his Sandringham estate home in Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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Even though Andrew has denied any wrongdoing, his name was found in the Epstein files that were released by the U.S. Department of Justice in November 2025.
The 66-year-old have accused of sharing information with the late financier while working as the U.K.’s special trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 and is currently under investigation.
The late Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre, filed a lawsuit against him in 2021 under New York’s Child Victims Act. In the lawsuit, she accused him of s—— assaulting her several times in the early 2000s when she was still a teenager. The duo later settled out of court, and he ended up paying Giuffre around $12 million.
King Charles III has officially stripped Prince Andrew of his royal titles, and he will no longer play an official role within the royal family.
