On July 11, Prince Harry received the Pat Tillman ESPY Award.
Pat Tillman was a football player who abandoned his career in the NFL to join the military following the 9/11 attacks, and ESPN created an award in his honor.
Due to his work with the Invictus Game, the Prince received the award this year.
In a very moving speech, he evoked the memory of his mother, Diana, as he praised Pat Tillman’s mother.
He and Meghan Markle are constantly working on keeping the late Princess’ memory alive. In fact, Meghan recently wore a piece of Diana’s jewelry in her honor. The Prince will always love his mother and treasure his time with her, and his speech reflected that.
Prince Harry Talks About The Mother-Son Bond
Prince Harry was this year’s recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPY Awards, and he used the opportunity to remember his mother, the late Princess Diana. Addressing Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary Tillman, he spoke about the unbreakable bond between a mother and a child and how it can endure any tragedy, and everyone could tell he was talking from personal experience.
“I’d like to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to everyone at the Pat Tillman Foundation, led by Marie Tillman Shenton, who I’m so honored is here tonight. I’d also like to acknowledge the Tillman family, especially Mrs. Mary Tillman, Pat’s mother,” Harry said in his speech. “Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect.”
“The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses,” he went on, and the crowd could see him getting emotional.
Through his speech, the Prince also acknowledged the Invictus Games athletes, who he called to join him on stage.
“The truth is, I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient, but rather 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, not to me,” he said, deeply humbled.
Pat Tillman’s Mother Wasn’t Thrilled About Prince Harry Receiving The Award
While Prince Harry was honored to be chosen for the award, not everyone was as happy as he was. In fact, even Pat Tillman’s mother had reservations about the Prince receiving the award.
Apparently, Mary Tillman was not consulted about it and was upset at first.
“I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” she said when it was announced that Prince Harry would receive the award in her son’s honor for his “tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport” with his Invictus Games.
“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 recognized.”
She wasn’t the only one who was wary of the decision, as ESPN received a lot of backlash for awarding the honor to Prince Harry, but his exemplary behavior at the awards ceremony seems to have turned public opinion around.