Prince Harry gives emotional WellChild speech as Diana book row continues
Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London and gave an emotional speech, while Earl Spencer's Diana book kept a royal row going and he said he hoped Harry and William would heal their rift.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards in central London this evening. The ceremony, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, honours seriously ill children and their families. Harry has been patron of WellChild for 18 years and has attended the awards regularly, including when he lived in California. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not with him.
As he arrived, reporters shouted questions about his uncle, Earl Spencer, and the new book about Princess Diana. Harry did not answer. He arrived without a police escort. One car carried private security, and no police officers were visible. The question of whether taxpayers should fund his protection while he is in the UK remains unresolved.
Earl Spencer's book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is published tomorrow. It has reopened a royal row over the aftermath of Diana's death. Spencer has claimed that then Prince Charles said 'we will forget her soon enough' after Diana died. He also said Charles sounded 'inappropriately elated' and like a 'lottery winner'. Buckingham Palace issued a rare rebuttal. It said grief can cloud judgment and affect memory, and that the King is mindful of the pain fraternal grief can cause.
Earl Spencer gave interviews to US broadcasters, including Good Morning America, to promote the book. He said family rifts are very sad. He said he hoped Prince William and Prince Harry could heal their rift. He added that he hoped Harry and Meghan would get gentler treatment from the media now they had returned to the UK. Critics accused him of cashing in on Diana's memory, pointing out that he once said he would not do so.
Inside the awards, Harry gave a speech and appeared emotional. He praised the mothers and fathers who care for seriously ill children. He told them: 'To all the mums and dads, most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day.' He met winners and signed a doll. One parent said family was 'a little bit hard to contact' at the moment.
Harry and Meghan plan to keep a low profile in the coming weeks. His visit completes a first batch of UK engagements since the family returned to the UK. The events have been overshadowed by Earl Spencer's book and the renewed row over Diana's memory and the royal rift.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Duke of Sussex was due to continue charity work later that day as he settled back into life in the UK. | ||||
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | |||
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer described family rifts as sad and hoped Harry and William would reconcile. | · | · | · | |
| Harry did not respond when asked whether he had spoken to his uncle. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News framed the WellChild Awards as a royal visit overshadowed by Earl Spencer's book and the row over Diana's death. It gave the palace rebuttal prominent space and noted Meghan's absence and shouted questions about Spencer. Its correspondent stayed on the charity event but tied it firmly to the wider royal dispute.
- “Prince Harry has arrived at a charity event in central London this afternoon”
- “he's going into the WellChild Awards ceremony he's been the patron of it for 18 years”
- “He wouldn't today be drawn on any of that.”
5 News treated the awards as a familiar fixture in Harry's calendar and focused on his long patronage and his hybrid royal role. It also made room for the Spencer interviews and the unresolved question of taxpayer-funded protection. The tone was conversational and human interest led, with a brief clip of Harry ignoring a question.
- “Wellchild really has stayed there every September”
- “He really is Harry in his element doing what he does best”
- “Have you spoken to your uncle? No response, weren't really expecting a response”
ITV1's evening bulletin put a royal editor at the scene and led on Harry's expected silence about the book. It stressed the security question, noting no police escort, and gave airtime to Earl Spencer's Good Morning America interview about the rift between William and Harry. The coverage was measured and focused on what Harry would and would not say.
- “you're not likely to hear him respond to not only his uncle's book, but some of the claims that he's made about the various rifts”
- “still no security for the son of the king”
- “family rifts are, first of all, very sad”
The late ITV1 bulletin focused on Harry's emotional speech and the toll of the row, while still covering the Spencer book and the security issue. It highlighted his praise for parents and carers, his refusal to answer questions, and Earl Spencer's hope for gentler media treatment of Harry and Meghan. The tone was more personal and reflective than the earlier bulletin.
- “Prince Harry was clearly moved when he made a speech tonight at the WellChild Awards in London, praising the mums and dads who care for seriously ill youngsters.”
- “With no police escort and not a single police officer in sight”
- “both he and Meghan plan to keep a low profile in the next couple of weeks, hoping the heat might just come out of this whole painful affair.”
Broadcast Timeline
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