Harry, joined by his wife Meghan, briefly broke down as he made a speech at the WellChild Awards, recalling his feelings the year before when Meghan was pregnant and they contemplated how they would feel if their child became ill.

Fighting back tears, the sixth in line to the British throne looked down at the floor and was comforted by a television presenter onstage before the audience started to applaud.

“I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day, and more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time,” he said.

“And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heart strings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own.”