Prince Harry makes surprise appearance in Las Vegas to present NFL award

Only a few days after the King disclosed his cancer diagnosis, the Duke of Sussex made an unexpected trip to Las Vegas to deliver an NFL award.

Harry made an appearance at the NFL Honours ceremony to give defensive lineman Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

It follows Harry’s Tuesday, when he travelled hundreds of miles from his home in California to be at the King’s side and spent around forty-five minutes at Clarence House with his father.

Harry and the Prince of Wales did not meet. Their strained relationship dates back several years, and it was made worse when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their position as working royals, relocated to America, and voiced a number of complaints about the royal family.

On Thursday night, Harry made his first public appearance since his father’s diagnosis. He made a joke during the prize presentation, saying that the US “stole rugby from us and you made it your own.”

“Just pass it forwards instead of backwards,” he said. “Why not put on a helmet and pads?

“That being said, I think it’s amazing what you guys do both on and off the pitch. Millions of people look up to you because of the way you conduct yourself and give back.

“This ultimate honour, the highest award, is all about giving back to your community, and we’d like to honour one special man right now.”

Heyward gave the duke a hug after accepting the medal before stating, “Prince freakin Harry, I’m just shocked, that’s Prince Harry.”

The recipient of the award is a player who has excelled both on and off the pitch and positively impacted their community.

The winner receives a donation of $250,000 (£198,000) to the charity of their choice.