Prince Harry surprised guests at a London awards ceremony with an unannounced keynote speech, and opened by joking about the number of phones pointed at him.

The Duke of Sussex, 42, spoke at the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards in the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College on Wednesday, 4 November. He was there for Travalyst, the non-profit initiative he founded in 2019 to promote more sustainable travel.

As he took the stage, Harry looked out at the audience and quipped: "All I can see is phones." He added, "You guys, literally he just talked about it," in a nod to the speaker before him who had raised the same subject, PEOPLE reported.

He then turned to the theme of the evening, telling the audience: "I founded Travalyst in 2019 because I believe that an industry built on extraordinary places of our world has both a responsibility and a business imperative to protect them."

The appearance came days after a trip to New York, and ahead of a trip to Europe with his wife, Meghan. The couple are due in Brussels on Tuesday, 10 November, to unveil a new version of the Lost Screen Memorial, an art installation honouring children who died after experiencing harm online, where they will deliver a keynote speech.

According to Page Six, it will be their first joint overseas trip since relocating to England with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in August.