Watch: Prince Harry stunned by military award backlash | Royal Insight
Prince Harry has found himself at the centre of another military award controversy as he prepares to receive what is known as a “sporting Oscar” for his public service.
The Duke of Sussex is understood to be stunned by the vocal backlash over the decision to give him an award named after Pat Tillman, the American war hero killed in Afghanistan.
Prince Harry is set to be handed the award by Serena Williams in a glitzy ceremony hosted by ESPN, but even the late hero’s mother has come out publicly against his nomination.
She said there are recipients who are “far more fitting” for the honour named after her son, and that she was shocked they would select such a “controversial and divisive” individual.
This has prompted calls for a rethink and even a petition with more than 70,000 signatures urging the sports network to choose another recipient.
The latest figure to join in on the backlash is the former head of the Royal Navy, who has urged the Duke to think “long and hard” about accepting the military honour.
Past military endeavours
This latest wobble presents a rather pressing problem for Prince Harry as he continues to seek to build a career in the US on the foundations of his past military endeavours.
It’s known that the Duke is extremely proud of his achievements while in the British Army and his two deployments in Afghanistan were something that he wrote about extensively – and rather controversially – in his memoir, Spare.
The Pat Tillman award is one given for service, and is named after the American football player who enlisted for the army after 9/11 and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
Past recipients of the award include Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who waged a very high-profile campaign for free school meals and an end to child food poverty.
The award is given to individuals in the sporting world who have made a significant contribution to the lives of others.
Under this definition, it can be argued that Prince Harry’s near-constant campaigning and support for war veterans means he quite easily falls into that category.
His vision for the Invictus Games a decade ago has transformed the lives of thousands of veterans and their families and it has grown into a successful global event involving 22 countries.
On the Change.org page for the petition to remove him as a nominee, it is stated that Prince Harry does not reflect the award’s intent and that awarding it to the royal “disrespects Tillman’s memory”.
Pat McAfee, a former NFL player, has come out to joke that ESPN should create a new award category specifically for Prince Harry – a member of the Royal family who doesn’t want to be called that but who loves sports.
The athlete was among a few high-profile names who criticised the broadcaster’s decision to nominate him.
Increasingly frustrated Team Sussex
ESPN has felt obligated in the face of such a backlash to defend its decision by hailing the “incredible” work of the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games. We know this intervention was well-received by an increasingly frustrated Team Sussex.
One television consultant who works for ESPN has said that the broadcaster will stand firm in its decision on Prince Harry getting the award and that the controversy only serves to improve ratings and draw interest.
His nomination was also defended by Jake Wood, a former Pat Tillman award recipient, who said that Prince Harry could have chosen to do anything with his life after leaving the Royal family, but he has chosen to focus on helping veterans.
But will that be enough to dampen the voices of the dissenters? And what does this latest blow mean for Prince Harry’s reputation as he tries to find his footing overseas?
His Invictus legacy may mean a great deal to the ex-veterans and their loved ones, but does the Duke’s actions relating to his family since leaving the UK mean he will forever be dogged by controversy, even about this award?
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