Prince Harry tells WellChild Awards that becoming a father made him more emotional

Prince Harry has been a patron of WellChild for 17 years but says he has become more emotional since having children himself. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Harry has become more “emotional” since having children.

The Duke of Sussex, who has Prince Archie, 6, and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet with wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been patron of WellChild for the past 17 years and while he has always been touched by the stories of the seriously ill children helped by the charity, he said things “hit” harder now he’s a father.

Speaking to Hello! magazine at the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, Harry said: “I think once you become a parent yourself, everything changes.

“It’s emotional enough not being a parent and seeing what these families go through, but then when you have your own kids or when you’re expecting your own kids, that’s when it really hits you.

“And I remember one of these years, I choked up on stage, and that was exactly it. I am so grateful to have healthy kids.”

During the ceremony, which marked Harry’s first appearance in Britain since April, the 40-year-old royal hailed the young winners a “beacon of hope and inspiration”.

“While we reflect on 20 years of these awards, the truth is that you are the story. You are the reason we gather here. Each of you is a beacon of hope and inspiration, not just to those in this room, but to the nation,” he said. “Keep fighting. Keep smiling. And above all, keep showing us what strength, courage and joy really look like.”

As he met with some of the winners, Harry revealed to 13-year-old Grace Tutt, who was given a Special Recognition accolade and uses a wheelchair after a bus crash, that he and Megan, 44, had been watching reality dating competition Love Is Blind and political thriller Hostage when the teenager asked him for Netflix recommendations.

Harry, who is estranged from his father King Charles and brother Prince William, also joked about difficult sibling relationships as he spoke to Declan Bitmead and learned the 17-year-old Inspirational Young Person (15-18) winner had a younger brother.

He asked: “Does he drive you mad?”

When told they get on well, he laughed: “You know what, siblings.”

And on hearing the brothers attend the same school, he said: “That sometimes makes it more challenging.”

Declan has limited eyesight after suffering permanent impairment and the loss of 96% of his skin because of a rare reaction to a common tonsillitis treatment and Harry couldn’t resist a joke at his own expense.

The prince quipped: “I’m bald and ginger, and worst of all, I’ve got a ginger beard – you’re thinking phew.”