Prince Harry breaks down in tears during 'emotional' fatherhood speech - video

16 October 2019, 10:15 | Updated: 16 October 2019, 14:23

Prince Harry shed a tear as he choke up while talking about becoming a father during his speech at the WellChild Awards.

The 35-year-old Duke of Sussex took to the stage at the event to speak about wife Meghan's pregnancy and the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in May.

As he read from the autocue, Harry choked back tears and had to stop his speech.

Host Gaby Roslin gave the Prince a pat on the arm, before the crowd cheered.

The royal said: "They [the awards] never fail to inspire me - but this year it resonates in a different way because now I'm a father.

"Last year when my wife and I attended we knew that we were expecting our first child, no one else knew, but we did."

At this point, Harry paused his speech and looked away as Gaby stepped in.

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He continued: "I remember squeezing Meghan's hand so tight during the awards and both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day and more so would it would be like to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time.

"And now talking to all of you as parent pulls at my heart strings, in a way I never could have understood, until I had a child of my own.

"No parent wants to hear that their child will suffer, that they will face extraordinary challenges - that will affect them throughout their lives.

"After meeting all the WellChild kids and parents over the years you have managed to give us a sense of optimism, of hope and of strength that no professional, no best selling book or advice could ever give us - so thank you for being you."