Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Prince Harry was blasted by a former Royal Navy chief over his nomination for the prestigious Pat Tillman Award for Service, which will take place at a glitzy awards ceremony in the US this month.
It was announced in June that the Duke of Sussex will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year’s ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 11. It will be hosted by his wife, Meghan Markle’s friend, tennis star Serena Williams.
The awards – named after former NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 – are handed out by sports channel ESPN (Excellence in Sport Performance Yearly) to individuals in the sporting world who have made significant contributions to the lives of others.
But the news sparked backlash worldwide, with a petition being set up urging the awards organisers to rethink their decision and even Tillman’s mother, Mary, saying to the Mail she’s “shocked” over Harry’s nomination when there “are recipients that are far more fitting”.
Now Admiral Lord Alan West, who was First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 2002 to 2006, lashed out at the royal and gave him an eight-word warning regarding his nomination.
Lord West warned Harry that “he ought to think very hard and long” about accepting particular awards it as it “doesn’t travel well with people in the military”, while he also urged him to turn the Pat Tillman award down.
The Labour peer told the Mail: “He ought to think very hard and long about accepting awards for things like being an exceptional pilot and being exceptionally brave.
“Some of the blame must lie with ESPN. They like picking him because it gives them immense publicity. But this is rather bad publicity for Harry.” Lord West advised the duke to “to sit back and not accept awards like this”.
He said: “It doesn’t travel well with people in the military. And when the mother of the man who died doesn’t want him to get this award, he should think about that.
“My advice to him is to sit back and not accept any awards at the moment. They are going his way because has such a high profile and people want to take advantage of that.”
Prince Harry is being recognised for founding the Invictus Games a decade ago to support injured and sick servicemen and women – both on active duty and veterans – who are navigating physical and invisible injuries.
ESPN said Harry is being honoured for his “tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport”.
It said the Invictus Games has “transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent”. Meanwhile, sources told the Telegraph that the duke was “stunned” by the backlash.
They said: “Harry’s legacy on Invictus, the things he has achieved, that’s his real passion.
“This is the space in which he truly feels at home, it is something he deeply cares about. The reaction certainly took the shine off the award.”