Nearly four out of 10 Americans think Prince Harry was wrong to receive the Pat Tillman Award, a new survey has found.
The Duke, 39, picked up the service award typically given to unsung heroes last week in a glitzy ceremony at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles.
But it triggered an angry backlash as more than 76,000 people signed a petition demanding the decision was reversed, while he has now come under increasing pressure to hand the trophy back.
Tillman’s own mother Mary slammed the decision to give him the award that honour’s her dead son labelling Harry ‘a controversial and divisive individual’.
Now, a poll of 1,500 Americans appears to back her with 38 per cent saying it was wrong for Harry to be given the award.
While the approval rating Stateside of his wife Meghan Markle, who sat beaming with pride in the audience as Harry collected the award, is still lower than Prince William and Princess Kate’s in another blow to the Sussexes.
Nearly four out of 10 Americans think Prince Harry was wrong to receive the Pat Tillman Award
A beaming Meghan Markle places her hand on Harry’s leg as the couple pose for the cameras at the glitzy ceremony in Los Angeles
Of those asked by polling agency Redfield and Wilton, only 21 per cent came out in support of the prince. The other 41 per cent said they ‘didn’t know’.
Tillman was hailed in the US after giving up his lucrative NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist as an Army Ranger after 9/11.
He served in Iraq and then Afghanistan, where he was killed by friendly fire in 2004 – when he was 27.
During his acceptance speech, Harry, who was honoured for his work with the Invictus Games, appeared to offer an olive branch to Mary.
‘Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,’ he said. ‘The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.’
But notably, Venus Williams – whose sister Serena hosted the awards – appeared to stay seated during a standing ovation for Harry.
Although some condemned the choice of Prince Harry as a recipient of 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’.
‘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 network said in a statement to the New York Post.
The Sussexes were greeted to much fanfare in America in 2020 when they upped sticks from the UK to step away from royal life and set up home in California.
The award is named after Pat Tillman, an NFL player who gave up his lucrative career to enlist in the army in the wake of 9/11. He died in Afghanistan in 2004
Mary Tillman, the fallen NFL star-turned-veteran’s mother, she was ‘shocked’ her son’s award would go to ‘such a controversial and divisive figure’
Prince Harry, who raised eyebrows last month when he was announced as the winner, was greeted on stage by three previous recipients of the Pat Tillman Award
Tillman won legions of fans over his three years in the NFL playing for the Arizona Cardinals
The couple received a huge cheer as they were announced at the event by host Serena Williams, who jokingly warned them not to ‘overshadow’ her
The Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 was watched by more than 17 million Americans and was lauded in the US press.
The public opinion of the Sussexes appeared to wane following the release of Harry’s controversial memoir Spare in January 2023.
A Newsweek poll around the time found 45 per cent of Americans were in favour of them being stripped of their royal titles. A month earlier that figure was reversed with 43 per cent saying they should keep them.
And in the most recent approval rating Meghan was still lagging behind the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Despite in May seeing her popularity among Americans improve from 31 per cent to 36 per cent, Princess Kate was liked by 45 per cent to remain the US’ favourite royal.
Harry’s was viewed slightly better as he was liked by 42 per cent of Americans. Some 40 per cent of those polled said they liked Prince William.