It’s business as usual for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no strangers to being under fire — and it seems as though the recent blowback from Harry’s ESPY Award nod proved to be no different.
Harry, 39, was named the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPYs, and is set to be honored at Thursday’s star-studded ceremony hosted by Markle’s pal, Serena Williams.
However, the announcement didn’t sit right with many, including the late hero’s mom, Mary Tillman, who slammed ESPN and claimed she was never consulted about the decision.
As the backlash continued to plague the Duke’s military recognition, former royal butler Grant Harrold says that the duo aren’t experiencing anything they haven’t already.
The Sussexes are “very used to the criticism, given everything that’s gone on over the last few years,” Harrold, who worked for King Charles for seven years, exclusively told The Post.
“I’m sure they’ll be drowning out the outside noise by continuing with their normal and everyday life and trying not to turn on the television, or read the papers as much.”
“They’re being talked about constantly, given their profiles,” he continued.
“From what I remember, Harry was always an extremely private person, so I’m not sure how he’ll feel about that, but I can imagine his way of coping with the attention is to carry on as normal,” he added on behalf of Fruity Slots.
Earlier this week, Harrold suggested that the father of two is “feeling quite sad” about the negative response to him being named as the award’s recipient.
What’s more, the former royal staffer said it’s possible the Duke could decline the prestigious award.
“He’d never want to cause any upset,” Harrold said. “If he thinks that it is going to cause upset, then it is quite likely that he could decline the award . . . because he’d never want to cause any upset and it would affect him hearing about the backlash.”
Earlier this month, ESPN defended its decision to honor Harry, saying his work on the Invictus Games “is a cause worth celebrating.”
The award is handed out to individuals who have made significant contributions in the world, which echo the legacy of the former NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who enlisted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Harry, for his part, served in the British armed forces for 10 years, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot and a forward air controller.
