He’s achieved so much already in his first eight years that it’s no surprise Tony Hudgell isn’t even fazed by meeting royalty.
The “superhero” amputee had Prince Harry momentarily dumbfounded on a video call when he asked him: “What’s your favourite crisp?”
After a stunned silence, Harry replied, “Ooh, that’s interesting”, then mulled it over before revealing it was salt and vinegar.
Unimpressed, Tony cheekily shook his head and exclaimed “Pooh!” before saying he was a prawn cocktail fan.
The banter came near the end of an amusing and touching six-minute chat with the Duke of Sussex to mark the youngster’s achievements in raising more than £1.7million for Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
His adoptive mum Paula 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!”
Tony – who had his legs amputated because of beatings from his birth parents – raised the cash by walking over 10km on his first prosthetic legs.
His achievements also include helping to change the law so that evil child abusers like his birth parents get longer jail time.
Appearing on video from his home in California, Harry, 38, who is patron of the WellChild charity for sick children, called Tony a “superhero”.
He and wife Meghan had been due to meet Tony at a charity award ceremony last month but it was cancelled because of the Queen’s death.
So the prince arranged the video call with Tony, his adoptive parents Paula and Mark, and charity chief Matt James.
During their chat, Harry told Tony: “Do you understand how incredible it is for anyone to raise £1.7million but especially at your age?”
Tony, clapping his hand to his head, amusingly responded: “Everyone tells me that!”
Harry went on: “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.”
When Paula added that the lad did not realise the scale of his achievements, Tony left everyone chuckling when he quipped: “Oh, I know!”
Harry then added: “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.”
This prompted a rather modest but head-nodding Tony to reply: “A bit.”
And when asked by Harry if he had a cape or was “in disguise”, he quipped: “I do have a cape in my room... I don’t wear it a lot!”
Tony told the prince he had a gift for his children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one – and proudly held aloft a signed children’s book based on his fundraising efforts called Go, Tony, Go!.
“I love that!” said Harry, assuring Tony, who raised his fists triumphantly, that: “My kids will be able to read your book”.
Paula, 54, from Kings Hill, Kent, said: “Harry is such a warm, friendly, kind man and put Tony completely at ease, chatting to him like he was a friend.
“It’s not every day you sit in your kitchen and talk to a prince.
“We were given five days’ notice of his call and had to keep it strictly confidential. Tony was really excited but also a little sad he wasn’t getting to meet him in person, as he had so wanted to do so.
“It was quite nerve-racking and Tony whispered to his dad that he was nervous as we waited for the call.
“But Harry was just so lovely, and Tony was just Tony – a little shy at first but then happily chatting away, like he does to everyone he meets, wowing them with his amazing attitude and funny personality.”
Tony lost his legs after his birth parents abused him as a baby. The Crown Prosecution Service initially decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute them.
But Paula fought to have Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith brought to justice.
In February 2018 they were convicted of cruelty and causing or allowing serious physical harm to a child and jailed for 10 years each – the maximum that was possible at that time.
Paula then successfully campaigned for Tony’s Law – which means those convicted of the offences face up to 14 years. And the maximum for causing or allowing the death of a child has increased from 14 years to life.
Simpson, 24, and Smith, 47, were due for automatic release in August and September respectively but the Government blocked it.
Paula is now pressing for a child cruelty register to allow the authorities to track such offenders in a similar way to the sex offender register.
