Prince Harry was joined by wife Meghan Markle as he attended the 2024 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles last week. Wearing a suit and tie, the Duke of Sussex, 39, took to the stage as he was honoured with the Pat Tillman Award for Service to recognise his work on the Invictus Games, while Meghan, 42, who opted for a white halter-neck dress, proudly watched on. The couple rubbed shoulders with sports stars at the glitzy bash, including their pal Serena Williams, who was on hosting duties.
But while they put on a united front, sources have revealed they were left horrified by the backlash in the lead up to the event after Harry faced a string criticism over receiving the prestigious award – which is named after the late NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman.
A petition was launched, urging the event organiser and sports channel ESPN to rethink its decision, and gained over 75,000 signatures. ESPN host Pat McAfee also disapproved of the decision, arguing that Harry’s nomination does not fit with the award’s intended purpose. And even Pat’s mum Mary spoke out, saying there are others “far more fitting”.
She said, “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.”
Now, an insider tells heat, “The Sussexes did their best to act composed but it was brutal, they went into this event with the weight of the world on their shoulders. To have the mother of Pat Tillman questioning whether Harry deserved the Tillman Award was crushing enough on its own. But on top of that there was an ESPN analyst slamming Harry and a petition going around to rescind the award, it was humiliating and beyond hurtful, no one could blame him for wanting to pull out. The ESPYs organizers reassured Harry that there were no questions on their part, they wanted him and felt he was well-deserving, but all the backlash really took the gloss off it for Harry."
“The fact that tens of thousands of people went and signed this petition against him getting this award left him gutted. It really goes to show that no matter what he does, people are going to find a reason to have a go at him, which is just so demoralising.”
Harry appeared to ignore the criticism as he gave an emotional speech on the night. He thanked Mary – who did not attend the ceremony – directly for her work with the Pat Tillman Foundation, while alluding to the loss of his mum Princess Diana.
“I’d like to acknowledge the Tillman family, and especially Mrs Mary Tillman, Pat’s mother, her advocacy of Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one I respect. The bond between mother and son is eternal, and transcends even the greatest losses,” he said.
“The truth is I do not stand here as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman award recipient, but as a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games foundation, and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality. This award belongs to them and not to me.”
Our source continues, “Harry worked so hard on his speech but finding the strength to forge ahead and block out the noise was a struggle. Meghan had to prop him up and give him countless pep-talks before the ceremony, she really took him by the hand and controlled the situation, but it was pretty tough on her as well."
“Some people might be able to simply brush this sort of negativity off, but Harry takes things to heart, he feels this sort of thing very deeply. He genuinely can’t understand why people are so hellbent on finding fault with him, especially over something like the Invictus Games, which has done nothing but good. Out of everything he’s done in his life it’s the work he’s most proud of, and it’s such a deeply personal cause for him, so having this sort of controversy around it is incredibly hurtful.”
There have since been calls for Harry to return the award, making him fear he may never be able to escape the critics. “It feels like this onslaught of attacks is never going to end, no matter what they go or what they do they always seem to have people against them. The event has come and gone, and they still have people finding a way to tear them down even further, picking apart his speech and saying he was wrong to make a reference to his beloved mum, it’s beyond the pale, and of course they blame the royals. The fact that they’re now these outcasts is giving everyone carte blanche to pile on and he feels Charles and William could easily put an end to this, yet they don’t,” our source adds.
“In some ways he wishes he could just disappear from the public eye, but he’s determined not to let the haters win. He’s trying to build his life around helping others, so allowing this sort of thing to stop him would be such a shame. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. This has made him feel more isolated than ever because he doesn’t have a huge support base like the royals have.
“He’s just trying to make a difference and be kind and in return he seems to get nothing but hostility, it’s exhausting. It’s taking all the strength he has just to keep going. For Meghan it’s heartbreaking to see her soulmate torn down like this. Not to mention this is another crushing blow to their hopes of gaining popularity. She and Harry both feel it’s high time the royals step up and stop icing them out to the point that they’re outcasts around the world.”