The Duke of Sussex has made a rare public appearance in the UK to celebrate the achievements of young people and their families dealing with serious health conditions.

Prince Harry is patron of the charity, WellChild, and attended their annual awards ceremony at a hotel in central London.

He paid tribute to the children and teenagers recognised at the event, calling them “little legends” who remind him “of the strength of the human spirit”.

“Thank you for being you and uplifting all those around you,” he added.

• Prince Harry arrives in London for charity awards

His wife, the Duchess of Sussex, has not travelled with him from their home in California.

Since his move to America, Prince Harry has only returned to the UK a handful of times for charity events.

He was last in the UK in August for a private visit to attend a memorial service for his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, who died earlier in the summer.

Any trip back to the UK brings speculation around the relationship between Prince Harry and the wider royal family. It’s believed he arrived in the UK yesterday but it’s not known if he will see his father and brother whilst here.

The King is currently at Balmoral in Scotland and the Prince of Wales is in Windsor.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace have made any comment on Prince Harry’s return to the UK.

In a speech made during the ceremony, Prince Harry told the audience of award winners that they were “little legends”.

Praising the commitment of their families he said:

“As a parent I know a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting but when I hear about the care that many of you mums, dads and family members provide, the level of round the clock care that you offer, the skills you’ve had to learn and the battles for support that you fight every single day I am truly in awe.”

Before the ceremony, the prince also met award winners and their families including a lively exchange with seven-year-old Noah Nicholson.

Noah, who has complex medical conditions, repeatedly threw his toys on the floor as the prince laughed and chatted to him. When Noah’s mother apologised, the prince said “don’t apologise. I love it.”

Scarlett Cripp, who is ten years old, also met Prince Harry and gave him a set of crystal hearts to squeeze whenever he has a sad day – blue for the duke, green for his son Archie, yellow for his daughter Lilibet and purple for his wife Meghan.

The prince told her he would use them later as a reminder of his wife and children while he was travelling.

Prince Harry has been patron of WellChild for more than 15 years.

Chief executive Matt James said the prince’s involvement with the charity was significant.

“It does two things, it allows us to give our inspiring winners a night they will never forget, a night that will always stay with them,” he said.

“But also, it provides us with a platform to tell their stories which is really important for a group of families whose challenges often go unrecognised and misunderstood.”