Prince Harry chokes up about Archie and being a dad in speech at WellChild awards

It seems Prince Harry is still over the moon about being a dad to baby Archie: In the midst of a speech to an audience of families with sick kids Tuesday, he choked up recalling his anticipation when he and Duchess Meghan were then secretly pregnant.

Harry's emotion was on display at the annual WellChild awards in London, the national charity that honors children with serious illnesses, their families and their caregivers. Harry has been going to the awards for years as a patron and supporter.

"Yet this year, it resonates in a different way, because now I’m a father," he said. "Last year, when my wife and I attended, we knew we were expecting our first child – no one else did at the time, but we did – and I remember …"

At this point, Harry, 35, stopped, chuckled a little and then bent slightly over the podium.

As he fought back tears, the awards host, British actress and presenter Gaby Roslin, stepped over to pat his back as the crowd applauded, according to video posted on Twitter.

Then he continued.

"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 heartstrings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own," Harry said.

Harry told the audience that meeting WellChild parents and kids over the years has given "all of us a sense of optimism, a sense of hope and strength that no professional, no best-selling book and no amount of advice can ever give any of us. So thank you for being you."

Meghan, 38, later joined him on the stage but did not speak.

Earlier, at a reception with families, they received gifts for Archie, born May 6, including a baby onesie. Pictures of the two of them showed Meghan looking adoringly at Harry; they were holding hands when they arrived.

The WellChild awards ceremony at a London hotel was the first joint engagement for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they returned from their 10-day tour of southern Africa with Archie on Oct. 2.

On arrival, Meghan looked glamorous, wearing a camel coat by Sentaler draped over her shoulders and a fitted green wool dress by Italian label, P.A.R.O.S.H., the same sleeveless frock she wore during their engagement announcement in November 2017.

See our full coverage of entertainment news

.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry chokes up about Archie, being dad in WellChild speech