The Duke of Sussex has shared insights into his family life, including Archie being “very busy”, Lilibet “learning to use her voice”, and how his three dogs are “emotional support” animals.
Harry joined a call with winners of the 2022 WellChild Awards and their families, and apologised for missing the ceremony and not being able to meet them in person.
The duke had to pull out of attending the event in London on September 8, the day the Queen died, after going to Balmoral in Scotland where his grandmother had fallen ill.
During the video chat which was released on Monday, Harry spoke to each of the winners in turn.
He also described how the UK was “going through a lot right now”, with the general population wanting to help each other out – but said there were “certain other fractions that make that tricky for people”.
Four-year-old Henry Waines from Bridlington, East Riding, who won the inspirational child aged four to seven category, asked the duke: “How are Archie and Lilibet doing?”
Harry replied: “They’re doing great – Archie is very, very busy and Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great.”
The duke was speaking from his home in California, where he lives with the Duchess of Sussex, three-year-old Archie and one-year-old Lili.
As the duke chatted to a confident Henry, he told him: “You sound just like my son Archie. The same little squeaky voice. I love it.”
The duke told the youngster: “My name’s Henry as well. But everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea why.”
When Harry was born he was named Prince Henry of Wales, but palace officials announced that he was to be known as Harry.
His father Charles, now King, once declared this was always the case unless Harry had been “very, very naughty”.
Henry’s mother Shevonne told the duke he was actually the inspiration for naming their son.
The duke covered his face with his hands in embarrassment and said: “Oh no, don’t say that, and how did that happen?”
Henry was born with serious health problems affecting his ability to breathe, eat and speak, and he is attached to a ventilator 24 hours a day.
He has been praised for his determination to show how well you can live with a tracheostomy, and climbs trees, plays football, and rides a bike without stabilisers, pulling a 12kg trailer containing his ventilator behind him.
Harry also held a video call with 13-year-old Isabelle Delaney, who won the inspirational young person aged 12 to 14 award, and her family, who live in Solihull in the West Midlands.
Isabelle, who has a range of serious health conditions including autism, ADHD, hypermobility and Irlen syndrome, was joined on screen by her labradoodle Hope, who is training to be the teenager’s assistance dog.
Harry spoke about his own three dogs – black labrador Pula and two rescue beagles, Guy and Mia – saying they charged around causing mischief every day, and how it was like having five children.
He described them as “emotional support dogs, 100% – when they’re behaving”.
“We all need a dog that keeps us calm. I’ve got three in this house now. We basically have five children,” the duke said.
“I’ve got a black labrador called Pula, a rescue beagle called Guy and we got another rescue beagle called Mia and, between the three of them, they charge around chasing the squirrels and causing all sorts of problems to us every single day.
“But they are also emotional support dogs, 100% – when they’re behaving.”
The duke also chatted to Tony Hudgell, who won the special recognition four to 11 years award.
Tony, who was so badly abused at the hands of his birth parents that he had to have his legs amputated, raised more than £1.7 million for Evelina Children’s Hospital with his challenge of walking every day of June in 2020 on his new prosthetic legs.
Tony’s adoptive mother and father, Paula and Mark Hudgell, from West Malling in Kent, expressed their condolences to Harry on the death of the Queen, with Paula saying: “We felt for you immensely.”
The youngster questioned Harry on what his favourite crisps were. The duke replied: “Salt and vinegar – could be Walkers, could be anything as long as it’s salt and vinegar.”
Harry told Tony: “I’m thanking you for your resilience, your determination, your bravery, your strength your everything. You seem like a bit of a superhero.”
Tony quipped: “A bit,” leaving Harry chuckling.
As well as the winning children and teenagers, Harry also spoke to the professional winners, including senior play specialist Lizzie Penn from Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Evelyn Rodger, a Diana Children’s Nurse with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland.
He told them that the UK was “going through a lot right now” and how there were “certain other fractions” that make it tricky for people, but Harry did not make clear to what he was referring.
“The UK is going through a lot right now. And it needs people like you to continue to do what you do and to inspire other people to step up and help out where they can,” he said.
“The feeling that I’ve always, certainly in the UK, is that the general population, everyone gets it, everyone wants to muck in and help each other no matter what.
“There are certain other fractions that make that tricky for people but the way that I’m constantly inspired every single day is by you guys.”
Ms Rodger’s role was funded by the memorial fund set up in honour of Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
She told him: “I think your mum would be very proud of what that money has achieved and I also think, as a mum, she’d be very proud of you Harry.”
Harry looked touched and replied: “That’s very sweet.”
The duke said that any issues that he or anyone else were having were just kicked “to the sidelines” in comparison with the difficulties the WellChild families face each day.
“Knowing what these families go through every single day, it just puts any issues that I or any of us have, it just kicks it straight to the sidelines because they are struggling every single day and thank the Lord that WellChild is there to support them,” he said.
