PR Expert Weighs in on Prince Harry’s ESPYs Controversy

Pat Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals who gave up his NFL career and a $3.6 million contract after September 11, 2001, to serve as an Army Ranger. He was killed by friendly fire on April 22, 2004, in Afghanistan, though the Army did not reveal how Pat died for over a month after his death, NPR reported.

ESPN and the Pat Tillman Foundation selected Prince Harry to win the award for 2024 because of his work with the Invictus Games. However, the announcement was quickly met with criticism.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Some thought Prince Harry didn’t deserve the Pat Tillman Award

The Invictus Games are a worldwide sporting competition for injured veterans. Following his two tours in Afghanistan as a pilot for the British Armed Forces, Harry became a founding patron of the Invictus Games.

The Games celebrated their 10th anniversary in May, and 23 nations are now represented at them each year.

On June 27, ESPN announced Harry would receive the Pat Tillman Award “in honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport.”

Pat’s mother, Mary Tillman, told the Daily Mail shortly after the announcement that she was “shocked” ESPN planned to give the award to the royal.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

“I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” she told the outlet. “There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.”

“These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections, or privilege that Prince Harry has,” Mary added. “I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized.”

Mary does not work for the Pat Tillman Foundation or play a role in deciding who wins the annual award. A Change.org petition urging ESPN to reconsider giving Harry the award also gained traction online, amassing over 76,000 signatures as of Friday.

Harry received similar criticism when he was awarded the Living Legend of Aviation Award in January.

Despite the controversy, ESPN and the Pat Tillman Foundation stood by their decision, as the organizations shared in a statement with Business Insider ahead of the ESPYs.

“ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of the Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world,” ESPN said in its statement.

“While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, the Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work, and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” the statement continued.

Prince Harry honored Mary Tillman in his acceptance speech

Harry attended the ESPYs with his wife, Meghan Markle.

While accepting his award, Harry focused his speech on the Invictus Games, opening by thanking Pat’s family, including his widow, Marie Tillman Shenton, the chair and cofounder of the Pat Tillman Foundation.

He also spoke about Mary Tillman directly, seeming to nod to his bond with Princess Diana.

“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,” Harry said. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”

Harry said he accepted the award as “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 games a reality.”

Evan Nierman, the CEO and founder of the global PR firm Red Banyan, told BI that although Harry’s work with the Invictus Games is “commendable,” and he attempted to change the narrative around the award with his speech, it would have been savvier of Harry to decline the award altogether.

“Harry deserves recognition for the work of the foundation and his advocacy on behalf of servicemen,” Nierman said. “If he wanted to have really maximized the PR opportunity for himself, it would have been declining the award and saying that he was not going to accept it and then flipping it to recognize others who were deserving recipients.”

“I think that would have been a very bold and smart PR move that would have perhaps won him more points with the public than accepting the award,” he added.

Harry and Meghan’s PR strategy might be growing stale

Nierman said that the Sussexes’ attendance at the ESPYs “put Meghan and Harry right back in the hot seat as opposed to shining a light on others who could have received the award.”

Harry and Meghan have frequently been accused of overshadowing others simply by existing in the public eye. Serena Williams, the host of the 2024 ESPYs and a close friend of the couple, pushed back against that line of thinking during her opening monologue for the show with a joke.

“It’s well, actually only pretty often that I get to be in a room with actual royalty, and tonight is no exception,” Williams said. “Prince Harry and Meghan are here. Let’s give it up for them.”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P

“But please, Harry and Meghan, try not to breathe too much tonight,” she added. “Because this is my night, and I don’t want to be overshadowed by the accusations that you guys are taking up too much oxygen, OK?”

Nierman told BI that he thinks the latest backlash against Harry makes sense given how much about their royal lives they have already revealed in their 2022 Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” and Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare.“

“I do believe that they were completely outmaneuvering the royal family in terms of their PR strategy because they were willing to go big and to be bold and to write a tell-all book and do the Netflix documentary,” Neirman said.

“I don’t think the public finds it that interesting anymore,” he added.

Yaroslav Sabitov/PA Images via Getty Images

A year and a half after “Spare” was published, Harry and Meghan still seem to be finding their footing in their post-royal lives.

For example, their Spotify and Netflix ventures have not gone as well as the couple might have expected. While “Harry & Meghan” was Netflix’s most-watched documentary debut, the couple has yet to provide the streamer with another success. They also ended their partnership with Spotify in 2023 and reportedly did not get the full $20 million payout from the deal because they didn’t make enough content.

Meghan, a former blogger, will soon return to her lifestyle roots. She recently shared a sneak peek at her new venture, American Riviera Orchard.

Meanwhile, sporting and military service continue to be touchstones for Harry through things like the Invictus Games and charity polo events, making the recent backlash all the more difficult for the prince in terms of his public persona.

Harry can get back on track

Although Harry’s ESPY was criticized, he and Meghan have received positive attention for much of 2024.

After hiring two new members of their press team in April, Harry and Meghan went on a successful quasi-royal tour of Nigeria in May, which is interested in hosting the Invictus Games.

And in March, Misan Harriman, a photographer who worked with Meghan and Harry, defended them when UK tabloids accused him of manipulating photos of the couple. This positioning of Harry and Meghan as reliable came at a time when Kensington Palace was being widely questioned for releasing an altered photo of Kate Middleton and her children.

Now, Harry might want to take a cue from Prince William, who has had a string of positive press moments in recent weeks, to get back on track.

From sharing a carefree photo with his kids for his birthday to attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the future king has recently come off as approachable and relatable.

“William has done things that humanize him a bit in the eyes of the public,” Nierman said, pointing to the Prince of Wales cheering on England in the European Championship and dancing at Swift’s concert.

“It just creates or publicizes a side of William that people haven’t seen much of — the softer, sillier, more approachable side,” he added.

It’s a notable shift, considering approachability has long been Harry’s secret weapon, as royal experts previously told BI. By staying true to his old playbook, Harry might be able to turn the tides of public sentiment once again.