One of the biggest controversies Prince Harry dealt with earlier this year- and one that was not even really in his control- was the backlash he got for the Pat Tillman Award. The Duke was honored for his exceptional work with the Invictus Foundation and his efforts to support military veterans in uplifting their spirits. But none of that seemed to convince critics that Prince Harry was truly deserving of such an honor. One might think the Duke would want to avoid further scrutiny after the controversy, but he seems unfazed.

Prince Harry recently made it clear that he plans to remain connected with the Pat Tillman Foundation, regardless of how much it ruffles the feathers of his critics.

Prince Harry recently showed up at the annual Tillman Honors gala in Chicago, which was quite surprising considering his history with the Pat Tillman foundation. The Duke of Sussex rubbed shoulders with 40 Tillman Scholars, Israel Del Toro, retired NFL quarterback Jake Plummer, and Pat Tillman Foundation CEO Dr. Katherine Steele for a leadership session before the big charity dinner. He stuck around for the whole gala, which included a keynote address from 2020 Tillman Scholar Bradley Snyder as well. 

At the dinner, Prince Harry was seen cozying up next to Pat Tillman’s widow, Marie Tillman Shenton. And after the event, Pat Tillman Foundation shared footages of their reactions in a video to document the memorable occasion. This came right after the 40-year-old was called out for winning the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPY Awards, which many deemed that he did not deserve.

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Not only experts, but even Pat Tillman’s mother had come forward to slam the decision to hand Prince Harry such a prestigious award.

Prince Harry was announced as a recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPN ESPY Awards in June. Since the news broke, the Duke had been the target of a lot of criticism. Pat McAfee, sports analyst and former NFL punter, was one of the critics, who told the Express that the Duke's nomination for the award was "probably the most embarrassing thing" he had ever seen. 

McAfee added that there are "probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people" who would be more deserving of the honor than Prince Harry. Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary Tillman, was not exactly happy either. She told the Daily Mail that there were other, “far more fitting” candidates for the award. However, it seems like nothing is stopping Prince Harry from continuing his connection with the foundation.

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What do you think about Prince Harry’s appearance at the Tillman Honors gala? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!