Prince Harry feels he needs to 'validate himself' after leaving royal family, says Princess Diana's pal

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Prince Harry is reportedly still looking for ways to "validate himself" after breaking ties with his royal family four years ago, as per Richard Kay, a close friend of Princess Diana. 

This comes as the younger son of King Charles ensued criticism after lifting the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPYs on Thursday, July 11, for his work on the Invictus Games, as many thought he was undeserving of the honor. 

Prince Harry's life's passions were his work with the military

In the recent episode of 'Palace Confidential' podcast, Richard Kay shared, "It kind of feels like it's been that way for the last four years, I mean he wanted to break away, he did break away, he turned his back on service, but he's sort of umbilically linked if you like still to that same cause because he needs to validate himself," as per OK! Magazine.

The father-of-two served in the British Army from 2005 to 2015 and toured twice in Afghanistan, first in 2007-2008 as a forward air controller and again in 2012-2013 as an Apache helicopter pilot. 

Kay and several other royal experts feel that for the 'Spare' author, his time in the army while fighting on the front lines was "his life's passion."

"Also it seems to me the one way he can validate himself is through his military links and no one is criticizing those. He was a brave soldier, he did two tours in Afghanistan, but nevertheless, the constant reminder of his military connection grates with a lot of people who can’t get over the fact he chose financial gain and a break from royal tradition ahead of service," observed the royal analyst.

Prince Harry’s life changed forever after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down from royal duties and subsequently relocated to the US, which is often termed "Megxit." 

A palace insider spilled, per OK! Magazine, "Megxit was one thing — an easy thing to apologize for at some point, but the Oprah sit-down, the documentary, and the book — Harry's life as a royal is completely finished.”

Prince Harry hailed Pat Tillman's mother Mary Tillman while receiving his ESPY Award 

Though Mary Tillman, mother of the iconic NFL player and army hero Pat Tillman, previously said that she was "shocked" at the honor named after her son was going to "such a controversial and divisive figure," Prince Harry received the honor gracefully during Thursday’s ESPYs. 

While accepting the award, he paid tribute to the "eternal bond" shared by a mother and a son, while praising her, as per Daily Mail.

Prince Harry 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. Tonight, we celebrate healing through sport. We will leave no one behind."

He continued, "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," poignantly noted Harry.