Prince Harry calls for nominations for the 2023 WellChild Awards
Prince Harry has been tipped to mention the late Queen Elizabeth II in his speech at the WellChild Awards next week.
Royal expert Christine Ross believes he will refer to his late grandmother, with the event falling just a few hours before the first anniversary of her death on September 8.
The WellChild Awards will take place in London on September 7, with Harry's attendance at the event confirmed last month.
Harry and Meghan Markle cancelled their appearance at last year's event after the Queen died at Balmoral earlier that afternoon.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Ms Ross said: "I suspect that Harry will have a tough time writing this speech, as he will be perceived as wrong to someone no matter what he says.
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"Given his new 'open and honest' outlook on how he presents himself publicly, I think that he may allude to his absence at last year’s WellChild Awards."
Harry could refer to his absence at last year's event, before mentioning his beloved grandmother ahead of the sad anniversary.
Ms Ross added: "He may comment on the anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death, as it is a historic event that people mourned the world over.
"It would seem impossible to not mention such a sad and momentous anniversary, but would also detract from the work of the WellChild organisation and Harry’s work outside of the Royal Family."
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Harry tipped to mention the Queen next week (Image: GETTY)
Harry shared a close bond with his beloved grandmother (Image: PA)
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She concluded: "He often finds himself in a lose-lose situation, and I suspect he will do what feels right in the moment."
Harry and Meghan travelled to Europe at the start of September last year for some work-related projects.
The timing of their trip ended up coinciding with the late monarch's death.
The couple remained in the UK for a few weeks, with the pair both attending Her Majesty's funeral on September 19 last year.
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Meghan and Harry attended the late Queen's funeral last year (Image: GETTY)
Prior to stepping back as a working royal in 2020, Harry was known to share a close bond with his grandmother.
The Queen reportedly was very protective of Harry and his elder brother, Prince William, during their young years - particularly after the death of their late mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
In 2016, the late monarch and Harry demonstrated their close bond in a playful video to promote that year’s Invictus Games, which was founded by Harry.
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