Prince Harry Paid An Emotional Tribute To Princess Diana

Prince Harry continues to remember his late mother’s legacy. On July 11, the Duke of Sussex attended the 2024 ESPY Awards with his wife, Meghan Markle. At the Los Angeles ceremony, he accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service and paid a subtle tribute to Princess Diana in his speech.

While referring to Mary Tillman, the mother of the football player the award’s named after, Harry said, “Our advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect.” He added, “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses,” seemingly referencing his own mother, who died in a car accident in 1997.

The Pat Tillman Award for Service is awarded to someone “with a strong connection to sports who has served others.” Harry was recognized for founding the Invictus Games, an annual international sports competition for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams also attended the ceremony, and while on stage, she joked that she didn’t want the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to steal her thunder.

“Prince Harry and Meghan are here. Let’s give it up for them,” Williams 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.”

Harry’s speech at the 2024 ESPYS wasn’t the first time he’s referenced his mother recently.

He got candid about his grief in a video released last month by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which supports grieving children whose parents were killed in action. “If you suppress this for too long, you cannot suppress it forever. It is not sustainable and it will eat away at you inside,” he said in the video. “Once realizing that if I do talk about it, and I’m celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier.”