In a children’s cancer treatment ward, Christine George, 52, whose son James, 17, was having chemotherapy, said about Harry: “He said he had all this organised but had a sleepless night last night – not the ideal preparation for his first day at work.”
The new dad also spoke to mother-of-two Amy Scullard, whose son Emmett, aged three, is in remission after being diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was two.
She was holding her 10-week-old daughter Ida and immediately struck up a conversation about Harry’s newborn son.
Ms Scullard said: “Harry asked me if she was over the stormy period as babies are supposed to be grumpy for the first 10 weeks – and she is.
“He said he’s getting used to the baby and how Archie has fitted into family life.
“He said he just feels part of the family and he can’t imagine life without his son.”
During his visit, the duke had an emotional conversation with a mother, giving her a hug after he heard about her daughter’s cancer and posing for a photograph with her.
Sally Wade, 47, a nurse from Henley, Oxfordshire, said her daughter Georgia, five, was diagnosed with a kidney tumour seven weeks ago.
Ms Wade also asked after Archie.
“I said: ‘What are you doing here when you should be at home?’
“He said, ‘It’s fine. He basically sleeps the whole time at the moment. He won’t know I’ve gone.’
“I said: ‘You must be totally in love with him?’ He said ‘yes I am’.”