Prince Harry slammed for wearing Royal family and British army medals at US soldier award ceremony

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Prince Harry has found himself at the center of controversy over his choice to wear his Army and Royal Family medals in a recent appearance at a US soldier award ceremony.

The Duke of Sussex filmed a speech from his residence in Montecito, California to present the Military Times' Soldier of the Year award to US combat medic Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks, according to the New York Post.

Prince Harry's army and royal family medals

Despite Harry's noble intention behind his participation in the ceremony, his choice of wearing the medals sparked criticism.

The 39-year-old who moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020 wore four medals, which included an Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan after his service in Helmand Province, his Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, his Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, and his Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Who is Sergeant Elizabeth Marks?

Sergeant Marks is a paralympic swimmer who joined the US Army in 2008 at the age of 17. However, while she was deployed in Iraq in 2010, she suffered hip injuries.

After she recovered from her injuries, the veteran obtained the fit-for-duty classification in July 2012.

Prince Harry recalls meeting Elizabeth Marks at the Invictus Games

Recalling how he first met Marks, Harry said, "I first met Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the Invictus Games in Orlando 2016, where I presented her with not one, but four gold medals that she'd won in swimming."

"To me, she epitomizes the courage, resilience, and determination represented across our service community. And this is not just because of her swimming abilities," he added.

"Ellie has courageously overcome every obstacle to cross her path. She has turned her pain into purpose and led through compassion and willpower, showing others that the impossible is indeed possible," he continued.

Acknowledging their connection through the Invictus Games, Harry told Marks, "You embody the Invictus spirit."

"Your unwavering commitment serves as a beacon of inspiration, offering hope and setting a powerful example for others to follow," he added. "I am honored to call you my friend and can't thank you enough for being you - and for Mason, your husband, for being so supportive of you." 

Internet trolls Prince Harry's choice to wear army medals at US soldier award ceremony

Slamming Harry over his decision to wear army medals at the US soldier award ceremony, one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Did he serve in the military or not?"

"Perhaps by wearing an invictus shirt, it would've come across as acceptable," a user tweeted while another user wrote, "He shouldn’t be giving awards to our American Servicemen anyway."

"As an American, I don’t understand why a British prince is awarding a US Army award. There are more qualified Americans (Gen Kelly, Mattis, etc.) who should be giving medals," a netizen opined.

"He only has those medals because he was alive when the events happened not because he did anything for them," a user tweeted.

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