Royal fans have taken to social media to claim Prince Harry was snubbed by a Wimbledon legend at this year’s glitzy EPSY Awards ceremony held in California. It comes after the Duke of Sussex was widely criticised for accepting his latest award in the first place.
Viewers claim the tennis legend, Venus Williams, 44, sister of Serena Williams, failed to stand up or clap for Prince Harry when he received his Pat Tillman award for services in the sporting community. The Duke of Sussex was recognised for co-founding the Invictus Games in 2014 to support injured and sick servicemen and women, both conducting active duty and veterans – who are navigating physical and invisible injuries.
In the video, shared by ESPN on YouTube, Harry was running up to the stage to collect his award, but although the majority of the crowd was clapping, including Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, the tennis legend appeared to remain seated and did not clap.
One fan on X claimed: “You don’t have to be a ‘royal fan’ to notice the ‘snub’. It was pretty obvious to anyone who caught the show. From what I’ve heard, the Harkles were snubbed by most people there. They were clearly not wanted.”
Another, reported by the Daily Mail, said: “‘Loved seeing Venus giving Harry and Megsie the “side eye”….no standing ovation or clapping”.
Another viewer of the event claimed: “I have a Newfoundland respect for Venus. She earned her fame, every last second of it. Then she looks to her left and there’s grifters galore! The look on my face would be very much like hers.”
Meanwhile, one person said it was Harry and Meghan who actually did the “ghosting”, ignoring Venus Williams and instead greeting other seated guests. The award Harry received was named after the late Pat Tillman, a former American footballer who gave up his career to serve in the US military in the wake of 9/11. He was subsequently and tragically killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
At the EPSY Awards ceremony on July 11, Venus’s sister, Serena Williams, mentioned the pair during her opening monologue. Host Williams drew attention to the Sussexes at the start of the ceremony, joking that it’s actually quite often that she’s in a room with royalty.
After asking the audience to give them a warm reception, the tennis champion said: “But please, Harry and Meghan, try not to breathe too much tonight.
“Because this is my night and I don’t want to be overshadowed by accusations you guys are taking up too much oxygen.”
The couple took the joke in very good spirits and were seen laughing when the camera panned to them in the audience. Serena has been a close friend of the Sussexes, having first met Meghan at the 2010 Super Bowl.
Writing in her The Tig blog in 2014, Meghan once wrote of Serena: “We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations — our endless ambition.”
After becoming Prince Harry‘s girlfriend and then a Duchess, Markle also leaned on Serena for mentoring on how to handle the paparazzi and the international media. However, it doesn’t appear that Meghan or Harry have any connections with Venus – beyond their friendship with Serena.
Despite Harry accepting the award on the night, Harry faced calls to reject the award because it has typically gone to unsung veterans. More than 76,000 people also signed a petition demanding the decision was reversed.
The mother of Pat Tillman also said she was “shocked” it would go to “such a controversial and divisive figure”, adding: “There are recipients that are far more fitting. These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has.”
Although some condemned the choice of Prince Harry for the award, ESPN defended it and cited his role in setting up the Invictus Games – which he mentioned as he dedicated the award to “the entire service community”.