Prince Harry is receiving the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the Thursday, July 11 ESPY Awards, but no one is sure how the audience will react. The moment will play out live on TV and royal watchers will get a true temperature read of the attendees in real time.
Nick Ede, a U.K. brand and culture expert, told Newsweek that it’s a “tricky situation” for the Duke of Sussex because he may come up against “heroes there from the sporting world who might be completely anti-him and find it awful to have him in the room.” Ede believed that “his team should really have thought twice about even accepting” the honor but knows that “it’s a massive coup for ESPN in a way because they know they’re going to get the ratings and the column inches.” However, the expert is giving a very British read on this moment.
We have to wonder if he saw Harry at the 13th Annual NFL Honors in February. The royal presented Cameron Heyward from the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and the reception was not only warm, it was filled with gushing excitement. Heyward said enthusiastically, “Oh, man. Man! Prince freakin’ Harry! Man, I’m in shock! That’s Prince Harry!” The audience was delighted with the exchange, and it proved that a Sussex appearance is often a welcome sight in the U.S.
Prince Harry has reportedly been “stunned” by the negative reaction to his honor after Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary, voiced her criticism to the Daily Mail. “I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” she said. “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.”
The Invictus Games has been a source of pride for Harry because it ties his military experience to athletic games and provides a place for veterans who have been sick or wounded to still compete in sports. Globally, it’s been well-received, so it seems like only Prince Harry’s U.K. critics are hoping he will flop live on TV. They might be surprised to see that his philanthropic efforts are appreciated here in the U.S., and July 11 will be the big test.
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.
