Prince Harry Pays Tribute to Pat Tillman’s Mother During Powerful ESPYs Speech

Prince Harry gave a powerful speech at the 2024 ESPY Awards on Thursday night … and in it he paid tribute Pat Tilman‘s mother – this despite her previous scathing criticism of him.

ESPN announced weeks ago that the Duke of Sussex would receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the annual show — and days later, Maria Tilman tore Harry and the network for the decision. She said she was “shocked” by the choice to call the royal family “a controversial and divisive individual.”

But Harry took the high road when it came time to talk about the honor on stage at the Dolby Theater in LA… he took a few seconds of his acceptance address to acknowledge Mary.

“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one I respect,” he told the packed room of A-list celebrities. “The bond between mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”

Harry also thanked Pat’s widow, Marie Tillman Shenton …before talking about why he received the award: his role in founding The Invictus Games Foundation, which helps injured and injured vets.

Harry – who served his country during two tours in Afghanistan – expressed his gratitude and appreciation for all the men and women who have sacrificed so much through their service over the years.

“This award is theirs,” he said, “not mine.”

The crowd – including Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle — gave Harry a standing ovation before and after the speech. On X, former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III praised him for all the words he said on stage.

As we previously reported, while Mary was initially upset about the award’s choice… previous recipients shared TMZ they were in favor of it – with Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr.who received the Tillman award in 2017 and called Harry a worthy recipient.