Prince Harry faces major decision following awards controversy

Prince Harry faces a major decision over a high-profile public appearance later this month after receiving backlash over being named the recipient of a prestigious award, a British news programme has learned.

On June 27, it was announced that the ESPN ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards would honor Harry this year with the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The honor is one of several expected to be presented at a red carpet awards gala hosted by former professional tennis player Serena Williams in Los Angeles on July 11.

While he’s no stranger to red carpets or high-profile awards ceremonies since splitting from the monarchy with Meghan Markle in 2020, Harry’s attendance has yet to be publicly confirmed.

NewsweekWhite House chief royal correspondent Jack Royston told Sky News on Wednesday that the recent controversy surrounding the decision to honour Harry may give him reason to carefully consider any attendance. Newsweek has reached out to Prince Harry’s representatives via email for comment.

“It’s been a bit of a difficult week for Prince Harry,” Royston said. “It started well. Last week he was nominated for an award in the United States, an award called the ESPY, a kind of sports award that ESPN does, and he was nominated for another one, the Pat Tillman Award for Service.”

Tillman was an NFL star who played for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998 to 2002. It was after the September 11, 2001 attacks that Tillman was inspired to abandon his football career and enlist in the military, eventually serving as a U.S. Army Ranger.

Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 by friendly fire during an enemy ambush. His family founded the Pat Tillman Foundation that same year to honor the American hero’s legacy, primarily through a scholarship program for veterans and their spouses.

To mark the 10th anniversary of his death in 2014, ESPN, in collaboration with the foundation, announced the creation of the ESPY Pat Tillman Award for Service. Its goal is to honor individuals who echo Tillman’s legacy in sports.

On June 28, ESPN announced that this year’s honoree would be Prince Harry, for his role as a veteran and for his support of the global veteran community through his work with the Invictus Games tournament.

Harry is patron of the Games, which provide an international platform to highlight the mental and physical rehabilitation of wounded, ill or injured former service personnel.

“Now they’re giving it to Prince Harry,” Royston said of the award. “But Pat Tillman’s mother doesn’t think Harry should get it. She says he’s too privileged, he’s too controversial and they should have given it to an unsung hero, someone who didn’t already have the celebrity and didn’t already have the platform.”

Tillman’s mother, Marie Tillman, told the British newspaper The Sunday Mail that she considers that there are more deserving individuals to benefit from this honor.

“I’m shocked that they chose such a controversial and divisive person to receive this award,” Tillman said. “There are much more worthy recipients. There are people who work in the veteran community and do extraordinary things to help veterans. These people don’t have the money, the resources, the connections or the privileges that Prince Harry has. I think those types of people should be recognized.”

This sparked comments from Harry’s detractors online.

“It’s worked out pretty well and a number of other people have taken up the cause. There’s even a petition, which has about 50,000 signatures, asking ESPN to change course, but for now, they’re sticking to their guns,” Royston said. That was a reference to a statement the sports outlet released defending its position.

“ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of the Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year of promoting healing through the power of sport for military members and veterans around the world,” the sports outlet said in a statement on July 1.

“While we understand that not everyone will agree with every award recipient, the Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes it is a cause worth celebrating.”

With the increased controversy now surrounding the award, Royston said Harry now faces the difficult decision of whether to accept it in person or not.

“They say Harry deserves it because of all the work he’s done with the Invictus Games for wounded veterans,” Royston told ESPN. “So for Harry, he now has to decide whether he’s going to come in person to pick it up.”

Earlier, entertainment expert Mark Boardman said Newsweek It would be a good idea for the prince to be present alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, giving them the opportunity to be seen in connection with a positive cause.

“The high-profile nature of the ESPYs, combined with the positive narrative around the award, makes this an ideal opportunity for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be seen together in a positive light,” Boardman said.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweekroyal journalist, based in London. You can Find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on NewsweekThe Royals Facebook page.

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