Backlash to Prince Harry's ESPY Pat Tillman Award 'took shine off' for Duke of Sussex
Backlash over a decision to give Prince Harry a sports award set up in memory of a US war veteran has reportedly “taken to the shine” off the honour for the duke.
Harry is due to receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year’s ESPY awards in the US, which takes place on Thursday.
The honour is awarded by sports channel ESPN to people in the sporting world who have made significant contributions to the lives of others.
It is named after former NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
Mr Tillman’s mother, Mary, is among those who have criticised the decision to award it to the Duke of Sussex.
She reportedly told the Mail on Sunday she was “shocked...such a controversial and divisive individual” was to receive the award, adding there are “far more fitting” people without Harry’s “connections or privilege” who deserve the accolade.
The backlash left a bitter taste for the royal, according to a source.
“Harry’s legacy on Invictus, the things he has achieved, that’s his real passion,” the source told the Telegraph.
“This is the space in which he truly feels at home, it is something he deeply cares about. The reaction certainly took the shine off the award.”
Harry’s Sussex.com website previously confirmed he was due to receive the award, announcing: “During this year’s ESPYs, ESPN will recognize exceptional individuals who exemplify courage, perseverance, and service.
“Among the esteemed recipients is Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, who will be honoured with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.”
The Duke of Sussex was honoured for his service and using his platform to “change the world”.
He was recognised for founding the Invictus Games a decade ago to support injured and sick servicemen and women – both on active duty and veterans – who are navigating physical and invisible injuries.
Mr Tillman’s mother said in her comment to the Mail on Sunday: “I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.
“There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.
“These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised.”
ESPN said Harry is being honoured for his “tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport”.
It said the Invictus Games has “transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent”.
The 2024 ESPY (Excellence in Sport Performance Yearly) ceremony in Los Angeles will be hosted by tennis champion Serena Williams - a close friend of the Duchess of Sussex.
Harry served on two frontline tours in Afghanistan and spent 10 years in the British armed forces.
But he was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother the late Queen in 2021, a year after stepping down as a senior working royal.
At the time, the Sussex camp responded by saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal”. It prompted accusations they were being disrespectful to the Queen and her decades of public duty.
