Meghan Markle will not return to UK with Prince Harry for charity event

Prince Harry will return to the United Kingdom next month for a charity awards ceremony on a significant day but without Meghan Markle.

It has been revealed that Harry will attend an event in London on September 7 - the eve of the first anniversary of the late Queen's death - to commemorate the achievements and resilience of chronically sick children and their families supported by WellChild.

After ruling for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died quietly at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8, last year, at the age of 96. The first anniversary of her death is anticipated to be marked discreetly by King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Balmoral residence.

Harry has been a patron of WellChild for 15 years and routinely attends its annual awards ceremony, but Meghan is not likely to be present. She first appeared at the annual event with Harry in 2018, and during a trip to the awards in 2019, the prince disclosed Meghan was pregnant the year before and became upset while delivering a speech.

Meghan was supposed to attend the ceremony with her husband last year. The WellChild Awards in 2022, however, were held on the day the Queen died, and the couple withdrew from the event, with Harry going to Scotland to be with other members of the royal family.

The awards ceremony takes place just a few days before Harry's Invictus Games, which will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany, on September 9 and will last eight days. 

Harry stated: "For nearly 20 years, WellChild has been transforming the lives of children and young people across the UK, providing critical care that prioritises the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of these individuals and their families."

During the event, the duke will meet each winner and their families at a pre-ceremony luncheon before delivering the Inspirational Child (aged four to six) award and delivering a speech.