Prince Harry returning to UK on eve of Queen Elizabeth II's death anniversary

Prince Harry will be returning to London next month for a charity event close to his heart - the WellChild Awards. The event will take place on Sept. 7, the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's death.

WellChild confirmed the royal's attendance in a press release shared on X formerly Twitter. The announcement reads, "We are delighted to announce that WellChild Patron Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will attend the WellChild Awards, in association with @GSK, on 7th September."

The Duke of Sussex also said that it is his honour to attend the annual ceremony in a statement shared by Hello! magazine. In his message, the father-of-two acknowledged the great help the charity has provided over the years especially to the ill and their families.

He wrote, "WellChild has been transforming the lives of children and young people across the U.K., providing critical care that prioritises the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of these individuals and their families."

He added, "The courage and strength embodied by these young people – and the tireless devotion of those who support them – never cease to inspire me. I'm honoured to attend this year's awards ceremony and celebrate their incredible work."

In a statement shared by the publication, WellChild Chief Executive Matt James acknowledged the growing number of "children and young people in the UK living with long-term, complex medical needs." He said 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."

James said the award will also provide a chance 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."

The 38-year-old royal has been patron of WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children and their families, for 15 years. In a statement, the charity commended his "invaluable help" in ensuring that it "can pursue its mission to improve the quality of life for seriously ill children and their families."

The awards ceremony will start at 6:15 p.m. GMT/1:15 p.m. ET /10:15 a.m. PT. It will be live streamed by Hello! online as official media partner of the emotional event. Ahead of the awarding, Prince Harry will spend time with each winner and their families at a pre-ceremony reception, during which he will listen to their stories and help create lifelong memories. At the WellChild Awards, he will present the "Award for Inspirational Child" (aged 4 to 6) and deliver a speech.

Prince Harry has attended 11 award ceremonies in the past and his wife, Meghan Markle, joined him in 2018 and 2019. They were supposed to attend the awards last year on Sept. 8, but had to cancel at the last minute following news that Queen Elizabeth II was seriously ill.

He had to catch a solo flight to Balmoral where his grandmother had been vacationing. The duke later revealed that he learned of her death the same time as the public through reports online and it was just before he arrived at her Scottish estate. He made up for his absence at the WellChild Awards last year with an emotional video call to the winners and their families from his home in Montecito in October.

In February this year, Prince Harry shared a video message encouraging everyone to cast their nominations for this year's award saying "right now, you can play a role in highlighting someone in your life who inspires you. By nominating someone for a WellChild Award, you have an opportunity to introduce someone special to the WellChild Family." He also expressed his excitement to meet the winners.