‘Life for everyone has been tough’: Prince Harry says vulnerable children ‘should not be forgotten’ amid the Covid-19 crisis in foreword for charity patronage report
- Prince Harry, 36, has said vulnerable children ‘should not be forgotten’ in report
- The Duke of Sussex made the comments in letter for his patronage Wellchild
- The father-of-one added that ‘life for everyone has been tough’ over past year
- Comes amid reports he will travel to the UK without Meghan, 39, this summer
The Duke of Sussex has said vulnerable children ‘should not be forgotten’ amid the global Covid-19 crisis.
Prince Harry, 36, is currently living in his $14 million Santa Barbara mansion with Meghan Markle, 39, and their eighteen-month-old son Archie, having stepped back from royal duty last year.
The father-of-one, who remains the patron of WellChild, a charity for seriously ill children, said he has spoken with the families the organisation supports in a letter attached to their impact report for 2020.
The Duke said: ‘Life for everyone has been tough…As we continue to battle this health crisis, the existing needs of vulnerable children should not be forgotten.’
The Duke of Sussex, 36, has said vulnerable children ‘should not be forgotten’ amid the global Covid-19 crisis.
The report details how last year, the charity provided more than 289,000 PPE items to families in the UK to ensure that carers could safely come to their homes, and how it adapted to provide digital resources for families who were forced to isolate.
Harry acknowledges that it has taken a ‘steadfast, coordinated effort across communities and countries to get ourselves to a point where we can fight this virus’.
He also said the charity’s response to the pandemic shows ‘exactly why WellChild is so close to my heart’.
He said: ‘I am incredibly proud to say that WellChild has moved with urgency and purpose to tackle the new challenges that children with complex needs and their families have faced because of this crisis.
The father-of-one remains the patron of a charity for seriously ill children, WellChild, despite stepping back from royal duty with Meghan Markle last year
‘Life for everyone has been tough. For these families, it has been tougher than most of us can imagine.’
The Duke added: ‘As we continue to battle this health crisis, the existing needs of vulnerable children should not be forgotten.
‘WellChild is a lifeline for so many people, and has had to redirect many of its funding resources during the pandemic.
‘We must make sure that young people with serious health conditions continue to receive the support they need as we recover, rebuild, and work to return to normal life.’
In 2019, Harry choked up during a speech at the WellChild awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father and was comforted by Gabby Logan
WellChild lost 60 per cent of its projected income in 2020, because events were cancelled and financial constraints grew for sponsors.
In the Impact Report, one WellChild Children’s Nurse also wrote: ‘This has been the hardest and saddest of years for lots of NHS workers, but on the days I myself am feeling low and miss my friends and family, I remind myself of the daily challenges our children and young people with complex health needs and their families face.’
WellChild provides a national network of children’s nurses, who work with families to ensure that children with complex care needs can leave hospital and get the care they need at home.
In 2019, Harry choked up during a speech at the WellChild awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father.
His most recent comments come as reports emerged the Duchess is ‘unlikely’ to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit. Pictured, The Queen, Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate in 2018
After taking the stage at the event, which was streamed live on the awards’ Facebook page, Harry spoke about how he knew at the previous year’s event that his wife Meghan was pregnant.
As he talked about it he choked back tears and had to stop his speech, with host Gaby Roslin stepping in to pat him on the back, before the crowd cheered at him.
His latest comments come as reports emerged the Duchess is ‘unlikely’ to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit, sources revealed this weekend.
Insiders said the Duke of Sussex is currently planning to fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William – along with his niece and nephews – without Meghan and, probably, their 18-month-old son Archie.
Royal expert Nigel Cawthrone, author of the book Prince Andrew, told FEMAIL the decision would be a ‘snub’ from the duchess and would cast a ‘dark shadow’ over the Firm’s summer celebrations.
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