Prince Harry is unlikely to receive any other award in the future by any organisation that doesn’t want controversy after the latest furore regarding his Pat Tillman award for service, a royal expert has claimed.
The Duke of Sussex received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year’s ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
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 to individuals in the sporting world who have made significant contributions to the lives of others.
However, his nomination sparked a huge backlash, with a petition, counting just below 77,000 signatures at the time of writing, being set up urging the organisers of the awards to rethink their decision and Mary Tillman saying she was “shocked” at Harry’s nomination when there “are recipients that are far more fitting”.
But now a royal expert suggested Harry accepting the award may affect whether he is nominated in the future.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun: “There was no question Harry would accept this. The award was never going to be withdrawn.
“But there’s the fact that [76,000] people apparently have felt that it shouldn’t be.
“And that Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary, thought that he was not… the sort of person who should get it.
“I think that any award that doesn’t want controversy will think twice before awarding it to either the Sussexes in the future.”
During an emotional speech, Harry said the bond between a mother and son “transcends even the greatest losses” as he paid tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana.
He also acknowledged the family of Mr Tillman, “especially Mrs Mary Tillman – Pat’s mother”, which comes after she had expressed her disapproval of his selection for the award.
The Prince said: “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.”
