Prince Harry Returning to U.K. Early for Special Reason

Prince Harry is expected to return to the U.K. next month. The Duke of Sussex will travel from his current home in California, where he lives with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, to the U.K. to attend the annual WellChild Awards ceremony on Sept. 7, the organization, a charity of seriously ill kids, announced.

Harry, 38, has been a patron of WellChild for the past 15 years and has attended the WellChild Awards 11 times. The duke was set to attend the 2022 ceremony with his wife, but the royal couple was unable to attend following his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s death. According to ABC News, Harry is not expected to be joined by his wife at this year’s ceremony, with PEOPLE also reporting that it is currently unclear if he will see any members of his family while he is in the country.

During his return trip to the U.K. for the awards, Harry will spend time with each winner and their families a pre-ceremony reception. He will also present he Award for Inspirational Child (aged 4 to 6) and deliver a speech.

“For nearly 20 years, WellChild has been transforming the lives of children and young people across the U.K., providing critical care that prioritizes the physical, mental and emotional well-being of these individuals and their families,” Harry said in a statement released Wednesday. “The courage and strength embodied by these young people – and the tireless devotion of those who support them – never cease to inspire me. I’m honored to attend this year’s awards ceremony and celebrate their incredible work.”

The trip back home will mark Harry’s first time in the U.K. since he gave testimony against Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged unlawful information gathering in June and will come on the eve of the first anniversary of the late queen’s death. The former monarch died at her Scottish country estate Balmoral at the age of 96 on Sept. 8. She reigned for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.

Following his time in the U.K., Harry will then travel to Germany for the sixth iteration of his Invictus Games competition, which opens in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 9. It is believed that Harry will be joined by his wife. Harry is the patron and founder of the Invictus Games, which “celebrate the unconquered human spirit, and shine a spotlight on these men and women who served,” and the Invictus Games Foundation.