Latest news with #WellChildAwards
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Shocks U.K. Charity with Major Donation amid Vow to Continue Charity Work Despite Security Loss
Prince Harry made a "significant donation" to U.K. charity Himmah that will help fund over 650 meals for families in Nottingham The organization said that the Duke of Sussex's wife, Meghan Markle, made a donation in 2021 Prince Harry, 40, recently told the BBC he has "put myself at risk" to continue with charity work in the U.K. without state-funded security but remains committed to "a life of public service"The head of a U.K. charity said he was "gobsmacked" by a generous donation from Prince Harry after the Duke of Sussex underscored that he'll continue to support British charities despite losing a key legal appeal to restore his state-funded police protection in his home country. In a statement seen by PEOPLE on May 21, the Nottingham charity Himmah announced that the Duke of Sussex, 40, made a "significant donation" to the organization. The social justice organization works to tackle poverty, racism and social exclusion, and the undisclosed donation that Prince Harry made in January will fund over 650 food parcels for families in need in the city. "I could not believe it when we got the email. To have been chosen by such a high-profile royal once is amazing but to have been supported by Prince Harry too left us completely gobsmacked and hugely humbled," Himmah director Sajid Mohammed said. The charity may have been on Harry's radar through his wife, Meghan Markle. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, made a donation in 2021 that helped the organization expand its food bank resources, support the Salaam Shalom Kitchen (the only joint Muslim and Jewish community kitchen in the U.K.) and address pressing social issues. Himmah said that Prince Harry also sent a heartfelt letter to endorse his support. "Nottingham holds a special place in my heart, having had the privilege of visiting and supporting the community there for over a decade. The incredible work Himmah does to address food insecurity, poverty, and social exclusion should be recognised and applauded," the Duke of Sussex said in the letter. "I'm happy to be able to play a small part in your mission to bring communities together by creating opportunities and support for those facing hardship." Prince Harry and Meghan memorably visited Nottingham for their first official royal outing as a couple in December 2017, weeks after they announced their engagement. They tied the knot in a royal wedding in May 2018, and their first child, son Prince Archie, now 6, was born in London one year later. In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping back from their working royal roles and relocated to her home state of California that summer. The couple's daughter, Princess Lilibet, 3, was born there in June 2021. As Harry and Meghan build their life in the U.S., they retain roots in the U.K. through charitable commitments like her patronage of SmartWorks and his enduring support for the WellChild Awards. On May 2, Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos dismissed Harry's high-stakes appeal to reinstate his state-funded security in the U.K. that he says was unjustly stripped after he stepped back from his royal role and moved to the U.S. in 2020. Security is said to be a sticking point amid an ongoing rift between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles. The Duke of Sussex has long maintained that as head of state, his father could intervene to help restore the protection he seeks for himself and his family — an idea that the palace denies. Harry addressed the reality that he may never be able to return to the U.K. with his wife and children without this essential protection in a bombshell interview with the BBC that aired on the day he lost the appeal. The Duke of Sussex said that he has put himself "at risk" by attending charitable functions in the U.K. since 2020 but would "always support" the causes close to his heart. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! "The only time that I've come back to the U.K. is sadly for funerals or court cases, with the odd charitable function where I can in between that. I've put myself at risk for that, but I will continue on with a life of public service, so I will always support the charities and the people that mean so much to me," Prince Harry said then. "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point. And the things that they're going to miss is, well, everything," he continued. "I love my country. I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done. I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K. Of course I do. And I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland." As Harry fights for his future, it has underlined that his rift with his family is far from resolved. "I don't think there is any rapprochement,' a source close to the palace previously told PEOPLE. "Nothing has changed." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Is Asked Awkward Question About King Charles As He Arrives at Court in the U.K.
On the same day that wife Meghan Markle launched her new podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, Prince Harry was in court in the U.K., where he is arguing that he was 'singled out for different, unjustified, and inferior treatment' when his security was downgraded after leaving his role as a working member of the royal family. Meghan and their kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet remained in the U.S. as Harry traveled back to his home country to further argue that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee—known as RAVEC—was unjustified in lessening his security after he and Meghan stepped back from royal life and relocated to Meghan's home state of California, per the BBC. Harry continues to argue that he needs state protection for not only himself but also Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet while in the U.K. Protection is given at the discretion of RAVEC, which assesses risks posed towards members of the royal family on a scale based on intelligence from security services, the police, and the government, according to The Telegraph. The hearing is expected to last two days and be the last appeal of Harry's bid to win state-backed security again for himself and his family, The Telegraph reported. Harry arrived at court on April 8 as one reporter shouted, 'Did you speak to your Dad?' This refers, of course, to King Charles, who is currently in Italy on a state visit with wife Queen Camilla; that said, Harry is thought to have arrived in the U.K. over the weekend, and Charles and Camilla's royal tour didn't kick off until Monday. Charles and Harry are not thought to have seen each other on Harry's most recent visit. Prior to this trip to the U.K., the Duke of Sussex was most recently in country last September for the WellChild Awards, an organization he supports. Though Hello! reported that it was 'not possible' for Charles and Harry to meet up this time, royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the outlet, 'If they don't see each other, it's a shame because I think that the King will be very concerned for his son about Sentebale,' referring to the charity that Harry co-founded in 2006 in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, and last month stepped down from as patron after a rift with the organization's chair. 'King Charles might have a few words of wisdom for Harry over that,' Seward said. 'If there was ever an appropriate moment, it would be an appropriate moment." Of the possibility of reconciliation between father and son, 'I don't think it's his father he's fallen out with. I think his father's annoyed with him and disappointed with him, but the fallout is really with [Prince] William. Charles just doesn't like any kind of moral confrontation, like his mother, the Queen [Elizabeth], and I would have thought he's just sort of keeping in the background of the whole thing, but I don't think he's had a screaming row with Harry.' Of visiting the U.K., Harry said last July in ITV's documentary Tabloids on Trial, 'It's still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read.' He added that 'These are things that are of genuine concern for me' and said, 'It's one of the reasons why I won't bring my wife back to this country.' A final decision on this case will be shared at a later date. Read the original article on InStyle
Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Prince Harry back in UK for taxpayer-funded security court case
The Duke of Sussex has returned to the UK to attend a High Court appeal over his right to taxpayer-funded security. Prince Harry arrived in London before a two-day hearing that is a last roll of the dice in his effort to win police protection for himself and his family whenever they return to the UK. By making the 10,000-mile return trip from California to attend Court 73, he hopes to demonstrate quite how critical he considers the outcome of the case. The Duke has made clear that without guaranteed, state-backed security he feels unable to bring his wife or his children back to the UK. The lengthy legal row is a key factor in the rift with his father: the Duke has made it clear he believes the King could intervene to help broker a suitable arrangement. Buckingham Palace sources have insisted that this is incorrect. The King is said to be so worried about being dragged into the case that he has hesitated to engage with his younger son, in case his words are repeated in public, placing him in legal jeopardy. The Duke was most recently in the UK in September, when he attended the WellChild Awards. His appearance in court follows a particularly turbulent fortnight. He resigned from Sentebale, his African charity, which was plunged into crisis by a bitter war of words with Sophie Chandauka, its chairman. Amid the chaos, Meghan has ploughed on with the launch of her business, As Ever, and a new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which is due to be released on Tuesday. The Duke is understood to have landed in London hours before the King and Queen flew to Italy for a four-day state visit. The Prince and Princess of Wales, meanwhile, are enjoying a four-week Easter break with their children. The appeal will be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday by Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls, Lord Justice Bean and Lord Justice Edis. It will take place partly in private after the judges ruled that some 'highly confidential' evidence relating to 'security arrangements and threat levels and assessments for [the Duke] and other public figures' would be heard. They added: 'It is obvious that such material would be of interest to anyone wishing to harm a person.' It is more than a year since the Duke 'comprehensively lost' a legal battle with the Home Office following two and a half years of legal wrangling. Mr Justice Lane ruled in February 2024 that a decision made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) had not been irrational or procedurally unfair. The Duke was granted leave to challenge the judgement in June, when the Court of Appeal concluded that there was a 'real prospect of success' in his argument that Ravec had not followed its own written policy. The court found that Mr Justice Lane might have erred in concluding the Duke was not in a comparable position to those in an 'other VIPs category' who receive state security. The Duke's legal team asked the court to expedite the case last year, owing to fears of an increased risk to the Duke, including threats against him made by al-Qaeda, but the request was denied. In an interview with ITV's Tabloids on Trial last July, the Duke said: 'It's still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read and whether it's a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me… It's one of the reasons why I won't bring my wife back to this country.' Security has long been a line in the sand, with the Duke fearing that history will repeat itself following the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, in a Paris car crash. When he and Meghan first announced their plans to quit royal duties, they insisted that 'effective security' would still be needed to protect them and their young son, Archie. But Ravec swiftly declared that the Duke and his family were no longer entitled to the 'same degree' of personal security when visiting Britain. Instead, they are required to give 30-day notice of any travel plans so each visit can be assessed on its merits. When the Duke was told of the decision in early 2020, he was furious, demanding to be given the names of those responsible. In an email sent to Sir Mark Sedwill, Cabinet secretary at the time, the Duke expressed 'disbelief', insisting that he be told who had put him in a position of such vulnerability and risk. He offered to pay for his own security but was told the Metropolitan Police was not for hire. The Duke applied for a judicial review in September 2021, shortly after a visit to the UK when he felt his security was compromised. The challenge was based on an alleged lack of transparency about Ravec's composition and processes. The Duke argued that he had been denied a 'clear and full explanation' of the composition of the committee, which includes senior members of the Royal household, and how it operates. He also claimed he had been 'singled out' and treated 'less favourably' than others by Ravec, which had subjected him to 'unlawful and unfair treatment'. Shaheed Fatima KC, the Duke's lawyer, said the committee had also failed to consider the potential 'impact on the UK's reputation' of a successful attack on the Duke, 'bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the Royal family'. The Duke believed he faced a greater risk than his mother had done, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism', she told the court. While the Sussexes have their own privately-funded security team, they do not believe it can replicate the necessary police close protection when they are in the UK. Sources close to the Duke have argued that he inherited a security risk at birth and that the threat to his safety has not dissipated, even if his role within the institution has changed. Others who have left public office yet have an inherent threat risk receive police protection at no cost to them, it is claimed. The Duke is understood to believe that the decision to allow Taylor Swift, the American singer, a police escort to her Wembley Stadium shows last August over terror fears proved that exemptions could be made.
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Shine a spotlight on stories of strength': Harry calls for awards nominations
The Duke of Sussex has called on the public to nominate inspirational children and young people with complex medical needs for awards, encouraging them to 'shine a spotlight on the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and courage'. The WellChild awards annual ceremony celebrates the inspiring qualities of the UK's seriously ill children and young people as well as those who support and care for them. At last year's event at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, Harry hailed a group of 'little legends' for 'uplifting all those around you', with famous faces such as Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster watching. They allow us to shine a spotlight on the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and courage that they demonstrate every single day Harry Harry, who has been patron of the WellChild charity for more than 15 years, said in a video message on the charity's website: 'The WellChild Awards recognise and celebrate the growing number of young people with complex medical conditions from across the United Kingdom, as well as those who go the extra mile to care for them. 'They allow us to shine a spotlight on the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and courage that they demonstrate every single day. And this year is especially significant as we celebrate the 20th WellChild Awards. 'It is a true privilege to honour the bravery and compassion of this incredible community. And to make this happen, we need your help to nominate the exceptional people who inspire you every single day. 'Your support can make all the difference. Please join us in recognising the amazing individuals who will be honoured at the 2025 WellChild Awards.' Nominations can be entered online at until March 9 and entries will be judged by an expert panel including former winners and child health professionals. As the number of those facing such challenges continues to grow, the 2025 WellChild Awards provide a unique platform to raise awareness of the immense challenges they face and honour their remarkable spirit Matt James, WellChild chief executive The categories for nominations are: Inspirational Child or Young Person, Inspirational Sibling, Nurse, Outstanding Professional and Inspirational Parent Carer. The charity's chief executive, Matt James, said: 'This year marks the 20th WellChild Awards, in association with (pharmaceutical giant) GSK, a milestone that highlights more than two decades of celebrating the extraordinary resilience of children and young people in the UK living with long-term, complex medical needs. 'As the number of those facing such challenges continues to grow, the 2025 WellChild Awards provide a unique platform to raise awareness of the immense challenges they face and honour their remarkable spirit. 'They also shine a spotlight on the unwavering dedication of those who support them – from siblings and parent carers to the professionals who go above and beyond to help these remarkable children and young people to thrive.'
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Prince Harry makes heartfelt plea to public from Montecito mansion ahead of WellChild Awards
Prince Harry has called on the public to nominate inspirational children and young people with complex medical needs for this year's WellChild Awards in a heartfelt plea made from his Montecito mansion. The Duke of Sussex 's video message recorded at his California home marked the first time he has spoken publicly since his state was ravaged by wildfires – and since he secured a full apology and substantial damages from the publisher of The Sun after settling his claim over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The royal, who has been patron of the WellChild charity for more than 15 years, encouraged the public to 'shine a spotlight on the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and courage' and 'nominate the exceptional people who inspire you'. The WellChild awards annual ceremony celebrates the inspiring qualities of the UK's seriously ill children and young people as well as those who support and care for them. At last year's event at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, Harry, 40, hailed a group of 'little legends' for 'uplifting all those around you', with famous faces such as Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster watching. In a video message released on the charity's website on Tuesday morning, the 40-year-old said: 'The WellChild Awards recognise and celebrate the growing number of young people with complex medical conditions from across the United Kingdom, as well as those who go the extra mile to care for them. They allow us to shine a spotlight on the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and courage that they demonstrate every single day. 'And this year is especially significant as we celebrate the 20th WellChild Awards. 'It is a true privilege to honour the bravery and compassion of this incredible community. 'And to make this happen, we need your help to nominate the exceptional people who inspire you every single day. Your support can make all the difference. Please join us in recognising the amazing individuals who will be honoured at the 2025 WellChild Awards.' WellChild said there are more children and young people in the UK living in the UK with serious health needs than ever before, previously describing the awards as 'a unique opportunity to shine a light on the immense challenges they face and to celebrate their remarkable resilience and spirit'. The charity's chief executive, Matt James, said: 'This year marks the 20th WellChild Awards, in association with (pharmaceutical giant) GSK, a milestone that highlights more than two decades of celebrating the extraordinary resilience of children and young people in the UK living with long-term, complex medical needs. 'As the number of those facing such challenges continues to grow, the 2025 WellChild Awards provide a unique platform to raise awareness of the immense challenges they face and honour their remarkable spirit. 'They also shine a spotlight on the unwavering dedication of those who support them – from siblings and parent carers to the professionals who go above and beyond to help these remarkable children and young people to thrive.' The categories for nominations are: Inspirational Child or Young Person, Inspirational Sibling, Nurse, Outstanding Professional and Inspirational Parent Carer. Nominations can be entered online at until March 9 and entries will be judged by an expert panel including former winners and child health professionals.
