NEWS
Prince Harry should turn down ‘sporting Oscars’ gong that honours US war hero, military chiefs say: Ex Navy boss Lord West says duke should ‘think long and hard’ about accepting award because it ‘wont travel well’ with members of Armed Forces.
Prince Harry has been warned by a top defence chief to turn down an award named after an American war hero killed in Afghanistan, or face the wrath of military veterans.
Admiral Lord Alan West lashed out at the Duke of Sussex, 39, who is due to be honoured with the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his Invictus Games work at the glitzy ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 11.
The 2024 ESPYS will be hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams – a close friend of Meghan Markle.
Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, warned Harry accepting such an accolade ‘doesn’t travel well with people in the military’ and urged him to turn it down – as backlash over the royal’s latest award continues to build.
The Labour peer, who previously branded Harry ‘pathetic’ after he was named as a ‘Living Legend of Aviation’ in another US award, said:
‘He ought to think very hard and long about accepting awards for things like being an exceptional pilot and being exceptionally brave.
‘Some of the blame must lie with ESPN. They like picking him because it gives them immense publicity. But this is rather bad publicity for Harry.