Sports fans had a lot to say after Prince Harry was presented with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPYs on Thursday night.
Prince Harry was awarded the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPYs. The youngest son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, served 10 years in the British military — including two tours in Afghanistan.
Pat Tillman played safety for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998 to 2001. The former Arizona State star left the NFL to serve in the United States Army in 2002 and was deployed to Afghanistan.
Tillman was killed by friendly fire at the age of 27 on Apr. 22, 2004.
Pat’s mother, Mary Tillman, expressed outrage over the decision to present Prince Harry with the Award. Per the Daily Mail, Mary called Harry “a divisive individual” and said there were “more fitting” recipients:
“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.”
An emotional Prince Harry acknowledged Mary and Tillman’s family, stating that “the bond between a mother and son is eternal.”
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Social media had all sorts of different reactions to Prince Harry receiving the award. While some praised his heartfelt speech, others weren’t exactly moved by Harry’s words:
Harry left the military in 2015. A year later, he started dating American actress Meghan Markle (now Meghan, Duchess of Sussex). They got married in 2018 and announced their decision to leave the Royal Family in 2020 in a move that is widely referred to as “Megxit.”
Prince Harry Has Distanced Himself From The Royal Family
After announcing their decision to step away from the Royal Family, reports ramped up about a strained relationship between Charles, brother William (the Prince of Wales) and the latter’s wife, Catherine.
In March 2021, Harry and Meghan opened up about their problems with the Royal Family in a highly-publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan detailed an intense argument with Catherine, and Harry detailed how he grew apart from his father and brother.
Three years later, there aren’t any signs that the two sides are looking to make amends.
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