Pride of Britain Awards: Ant and Dec surprise Tony Hudgell

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Prince Harry briefly paused before he replied “Ooh, that’s interesting!” and then revealed his favourite flavour was salt and vinegar. Tony was unimpressed with the royal’s response, as he exclaimed “Pooh!” before he said his favourite was prawn cocktail crisps.

Prince Harry spoke with Tony Hudgell in a six-minute video call to celebrate the young fundraiser’s achievement in raising £1.7million for Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Tony is an amputee who raised the money by walking over 10km on his first prosthetic legs.

The Duke and Meghan Markle was meant to meet Tony earlier this year at the award ceremony for WellChild, a charity for sick children for which Prince Harry is a patron.

The meeting was cancelled due to Queen Elizabeth’s death in September, so Prince Harry arranged a video call with Tony, his parents Paula and Mark, plus the charity chief of WellChild Matt James.

Paula, Tony’s Mum, said: “Tony is so confident with whoever he meets that we are always a little worried he might get us into trouble with what he says.

“The fact it left Harry a little stumped made us laugh.

“Perhaps it was the first time he’d been asked that in an interview and Tony has given everyone a world exclusive!”

During the video meeting, Prince Harry told Tony: “Do you understand how incredible it is for anyone to raise £1.7million but especially at your age?”

Tony clapped his hands to his head and said: “Everyone tells me that!”

The royal replied: “Good, because do you know what? You need to be told that every time because I am sure you are incredibly modest and you don’t realise quite the accomplishment you have made.”

Prince Harry also called Tony a “superhero” for being able to influence the Government to pass an important law as well as his other achievements.

This year, the law was changed in England and Wales so that child abusers could face stricter jail sentences, which was called “Tony’s law”.

Tony was badly abused by his birth parents, Anthony Smith and Jody Simpson, and he had to have both legs amputated.

Both were sentenced in 2018 to spend ten years in prison.

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Prince Harry told Tony: “Not only have you inspired other kids and other ­parents and people up and down the country, and probably around the world as well, you also inspired the Government to put in Tony’s Law.

“To inspire the Government takes something very, very special and that means you are very, very special to do something like that.

“I’m thanking you for your resilience, your determination, your bravery, your strength, your everything. You seem like a bit of a superhero.”

The Duke also asked Tony if he owned a cape or if he was “in disguise” to which the youngster replied: “I do have a cape in my room… I don’t wear it a lot!”

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