Prince Harry is “stunned” by the backlash he obtained after becoming named the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Services at the 2024 ESPYs.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, is established to be honored at the glitzy July 11 ceremony for his navy encounter and operate on the Invictus Game titles.
The announcement raised quite a few eyebrows, together with that of the late hero’s mother, Mary Tillman, who criticized ESPN and claimed she was never ever consulted about the determination.
Now, a supply claims that the fallout has been a “bitter tablet to swallow” for the Sussexes.
“Harry’s legacy on Invictus, the issues he has realized, that’s his serious passion,” a source explained to the Telegraph.
The insider additional that although Harry is no stranger to staying underneath scrutiny, he particularly found discourse surrounding his army background upsetting.
“This is the room in which he genuinely feels at residence, it is something he deeply cares about. The response definitely took the shine off the award.”
The Publish has reached out to Harry’s reps for remark.
ESPN has due to the fact defended its determination to honor Harry, expressing his perform on the Invictus Game titles “is a bring about really worth celebrating.”
The prestige award is handed out to individuals who have made major contributions in the entire world, which echo the legacy of the former NFL player and US Military Ranger, who enlisted following the Sept. 11 terrorist assaults.
Tillman, a previous safety for the Arizona Cardinals, served in Iraq and then Afghanistan before he was killed by helpful fire in 2004, with the soldier posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his provider.
The supply pointed out that the condition to eerily equivalent to when Harry — who served in the British Armed Forces for 10 years, such as two excursions of responsibility in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot and a ahead air controller — was regarded as a Residing Legend of Aviation.
In January, the father of two been given the Dwelling Legends of Aviation award, handed to him by host John Travolta.
The youngest son of King Charles was subsequently inducted into the “Living Legend of Aviation” Corridor of Fame.
The choice was afterwards slammed by Admiral Lord West, previous head of the Royal Navy, who only claimed that Harry “is not a residing legend.”
The Sussexes have since been accused of “collecting trophies” to “buy the public’s regard.”
