London (CNN) Prince Harry was overcome with emotion during a speech at an award ceremony Tuesday as he recounted the feeling of knowing he was going to become a parent.

The Duke of Sussex told the story of how he and his wife, Meghan , attended the WellChild Awards last year knowing they were expecting their first child, but no one else did.

He welled up and had to pause his speech for the emotional moment, laughing and apologizing before continuing with his story.

"I remember squeezing Meghan's hands so tight during the awards," he said.

"And both of us were 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."

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