Prince Harry pays respect to Pat Tillman's mom following backlash

Prince Harry finally received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPY Awards on July 11.

The Duke of Sussex was accompanied by his wife, Meghan Markle, who cheered for him while sitting in the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

During his acceptance speech, the former working royal paid a heartfelt 'respect' to Pat Tillman's mother Mary following a serious backlash which was directed towards him for being underserving of this notable honour. 

Harry said, "I’d also like to acknowledge the Tillman family, especially Mary Tillman, Pat’s mother - her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect."

Speaking of the precious mother-son relationship, he added, "The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses."

Harry reassured the audience that he is receiving this accolade not as a Prince but "rather as a voice on behalf of the Invictus Game Foundation."

The writer of Spare shared that this award belongs to the "thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality."