Prince Harry honors 'eternal bond' of mother and son as he accepts Pat Tillman Award at ESPYs
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Prince Harry invoked his late mother Princess Diana while accepting the Pat Tillman Award at the ESPYs on Thursday, July 11.
The Duke of Sussex paid a moving tribute to the “eternal bond” shared by a mother and a son as he addressed the war hero’s mother, Mary Tillman, days after she criticized Harry for accepting the honor.
Harry, who served as military personnel and founded Invictus Games for the upliftment of veterans wounded in armed combats, gracefully accepted the award while praising the soldiers for their sacrifice.
Prince Harry pays tribute to mother-and-son bond
As Harry accepted the award, he paid homage to the “eternal bond” shared by a mother and a son. Addressing Tillman’s mother Mary, the duke said he “respected” her for her tireless advocacy to uplift her son’s memory, per Daily Mail.
“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,” said the royal to the late soldier’s mother, and added, “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”
As it was announced that Harry would receive the Pat Tillman Award in June, Pat Tillman’s mother vehemently advocated against his nomination.
Saying that she was “shocked” at the honor going to “such a controversial and divisive figure,” Mary said to Daily Mail, “There are recipients that are far more fitting.”
She further added then, “These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has.”
The award has been named after Tillman who left his lucrative NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist with the US Army and lost his life during military expeditions in Afghanistan in 2004.
On Thursday, Harry accepted the award from three previous winners of the Pat Tillman Awards. During his speech, the royal, who served two tours in Afghanistan, remembered veterans' struggles after returning from war zones.
Defying the pressing criticisms from several luminaries, Harry accepted the award while dedicating it to “the entire service community.”
He added, “Tonight, we celebrate healing through sport,” remembering every veteran of the world, saying, “We will leave no one behind.”
Expressing his “deepest gratitude to everyone at the Pat Tillman Foundation,” for the honor, Harry said, “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.”
He poignantly noted, “This award belongs to them, not to me.”
“While so much progress has been made since those first Invictus Games, the world outside seems to be in an even more precarious state,” continued the father of two.
He noted, “Conflicts rage around the globe - anger and resentment towards those who are different seem to pervade societies everywhere.”
“Our community challenges that - our community proves that unity is not just possible but formidable,” added the prince.
He gushed about his brainchild, saying, “The beauty of the Invictus Games lies in how it brings people together no matter one's nationality, background or personal struggles.”
“It is a collective, built from courage and mutual respect - where athletes discover time and time again the common denominator of their humanity,” he continued before noting, “Having survived the crucible of armed combat and forged through the challenge to rebuild bodies and minds impacted by conflict, they form a family. They exemplify the very best in all of us.”
As the duke was on stage, his duchess, Meghan Markle sat in the audience, beaming.
Apart from the royals, the event was also attended by nominees like Patrick Mahomes and Caitlin Clark along with tennis icon Serena Williams, who hosted the award.
Prince Harry faces backlash for accepting award
Internet was not impressed with Prince Harry receiving the award as they strongly criticized the duke for accepting the award.
One of the readers commented, "As an Army soldier and then with 30 years of service until last year, I used to have the utmost respect for Harry. I now have none for him. His actions during the last few months of Her Majesty’s life are unforgivable. I think as a nation, we are done with him."
"I had that on my Bingo card! He brought up Princess Diana. If he gets a picture (or selfie) with Travis Kelce - double the winnings. Triple if Taylor Swift is in the picture. I didn’t watch, but I’m a stickler for the red carpet. I only recognized Serena Williams. I must have missed the A-listers arriving," said another user.
"His Mother died nearly 30 years ago. Mine died more than 20 years ago. I don't bore people about it or try to make money from my emotions. This man needs to find a job to keep himself occupied," criticized another user.
Someone else said, "Pat Tillman gave up a large NFL contract/salary to perform service for his country. Harry gave up service to his country for an opportunity to make a large salary. They are polar opposites and Harry is not to be admired."
"Serena nominated, voted and gave to Harry as he's feeling a bit left out recently. His military duty was in the UK. Sacrilege to a true US military hero, Pat Tillman, who saved and gave his life for others," said another netizen.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
