Harry’s beard piques toddler’s interest during visit to children’s hospital

The Duke of Sussex's beard was the centre of attention when Harry met a young patient at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Noah Nicholson, who is two-years-old next week, grabbed the royal whiskers as Harry chatted at his bedside, leaving the duke laughing and clearly smitten by the youngster.

Harry said to the toddler: "Have you never seen a beard before?"

Noah then proceeded to pick up a soft shoe which he appeared to aim at the royal visitor's head, prompting Harry to tell him: "Don't throw it at me."

But the little patient got the last laugh, as he whacked the duke with his favourite toy giraffe.

The duke was at the hospital to open a new £40 million wing.

As he arrived, he signed the visitors' book and examined the signature of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who visited almost 30 years ago, in November 1989.

As he left, he joked with nurse Julie Austin, who was inside the costume of hospital mascot Theo and also met Harry's mother during her 1989 visit.

Dressed in an open-necked shirt, a casual blue jacket and blue trousers, Harry chatted with children on one of the new wards as well as in the playroom and specialist plaster room where youngsters with broken limbs have their casts put on with a range of colourful decorating options.