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The mother of a US war hero killed in Afghanistan has criticised the decision to give Prince Harry an award honouring her dead son.

Harry will receive the memorial award set up in the name of Pat Tillman – an American football star who gave up a £3million contract to enlist in the US Army after 9/11 – in Hollywood next month.

But the soldier’s mother Mary said she was not consulted, adding: ‘I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.

‘There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.

‘These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised.’

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Harry will receive a memorial award at the ESPY Awards

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The award honours Pat Tillman (pictured) whose mother, Mary, said she was not consulted

The ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) is run by the sports TV network ESPN and the Pat Tillman Award has previously been given to unsung heroes.

Last year it went to members of the Buffalo Bills American football team training staff who revived a dying player on the field.

ESPN said Harry was being honoured for his ‘tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport’ with his Invictus Games.

But the decision to honour him has led to a backlash. A petition yesterday demanded ESPN to think again, claiming Harry had been ‘involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honour of this magnitude’.

It says: ‘Awarding this honour to someone who does not reflect the award’s intent diminishes its value and disrespects Tillman’s memory.’

Pat Tillman was hailed in the US after giving up his lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist as an Army Ranger.

He served in Iraq and then Afghanistan, where he was killed by friendly fire in 2004. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for bravery.

One signatory of the petition, Tania Smith, said ‘Pat Tillman embodied service and sacrifice, doing his patriotic duty’ but ‘Harry represents none of these qualities’.

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Members of the Buffalo Bills American football team accepting the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Training staff revived a dying player on the field

She added: ‘He publicly disrespected his family, ran away from service to his country as a royal… He is unworthy of this award.’

A source said: ‘It’s incredibly hurtful that the family had no say in this. Pat Tillman was a unifying force for good. Harry is divisive… There are many unsung heroes who are far more deserving.’

Pat McAfee has slammed the ESPYS for shortlisting Prince Harry among its nominees for ‘the Pat Tilman Award for Service,’ as he also bemoaned that Americans weren’t considered in the selection process.

Discussing the chatter on the Duke of Sussex being tipped for the prestigious prize, which is given to a ‘person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and US Army Ranger,’ the ESPN analyst wasn’t afraid to lay into the event’s committee on the network, Friday.

‘A lot of conversation about Pat Tillman’s name. American hero… Now there’s an award named after him, as there should be in the sports world because that is somebody who is the definition of selfless,’ McAfee said at first.

‘It’s going to Prince Harry, who I don’t even think is a prince anymore… He said don’t call me that,’ McAfee then quipped in a subtle dig at King Charles‘ estranged son, later adding: ‘See, why does the ESPYS do this sh*t?’

After ‘Boston Connor’ – a member of the cast on the Pat McAfee Show – described Prince Harry’s nomination for the award as ‘probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen in my entire life,’ McAfee questioned whether the ESPY Awards’ committee even did its homework on its candidate search in the first place.

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According to information found online, award winners are only chosen ‘exclusively through global online fan balloting conducted from amongst candidates selected by the ESPY Select Nominating Committee.’

‘When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction from humans and sports fans and like people with common sense and brains is going to be like ”Hey, don’t be putting our f***ing guy with that guy,’ McAfee said before sharing his perception of Prince Harry, who founded The Invictus Games and served in the British Army.

‘I don’t know anything about him except for the South Park episode and what I’ve learned from the Crown.

‘But like did his people know like ”you publicly put me up for this award. You’re just asking basically every person that considers themselves American and saying ”this is bulls***”’. Especially at a sports award type of thing… I assume he knew that. They didn’t expect that?’

McAfee then brought up the 2023 ESPYS, when he gave an opening monologue on the awards show, and said ‘the people who run the ESPYs… they weren’t necessarily thrilled about any of that,’ referring to Prince Harry’s nomination for the Pat Tillman Award.

‘We should celebrate sports,’ the former Colts punter added. ‘The worldwide leaders should celebrate sport but doing something like this is obviously trying to piss people off. And it’s like there’s been numerous decisions of this type of thing over the last what? Decade?

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The Pat Tilman Award is usually given to a ‘person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and US Army Ranger.’

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Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games – a worldwide multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans – and served in the British Army

‘And I think it’s just one person being put in charge of this entire thing. It’s like, c’mon bro…’

A second member of McAfee’s cast on-air – Ty Schmitt- also added fuel to the fire on Friday, calling the ESPYS Awards ‘a gimmick.’

‘It’s like you couldn’t find an active US military member or someone who can’t serve anymore because of something they did while serving, Schmitt further said.

‘There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of people who they could have found who could have benefitted from this award. But instead let’s give it to Prince Harry…’

Replying to his buddy’s point McAfee suggested to just ‘make up’ an award for Prince Harry.

‘How about it’s like ESPY for royal family member who doesn’t want to be called ”royal family member” who loves sports,’ he said.

Prince William has regained his ‘sexiest bald man’ crown. (Getty Images)

Prince William has regained his crown. No not his actual, royal crown, but his official title as “world’s hottest bald man”.

Bumping Vin Diesel off the top spot as the sexiest follicly-challenged bloke on the planet, the Prince of Wales has dethroned the actor who scooped the accolade in 2022.

The light-hearted study actually has some scientific basis drawing on aspects such as facial golden ratio (which crowned Jodie Comer the most beautiful woman in the world last year), voice attractiveness and global search interest, to produce a whole new ranking of the world’s sexiest bald men

The research, compiled by Reboot SEO Agency, also takes into consideration each celebrity’s cranial shine factor (ie how shiny their heads are) to create an index score out of 10.

In 2021 the study sparked a huge debate online with many celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mike Tyson giving their views on the divisive results.

This year Prince William topped the list with an impressive 9.88/10, closely followed by last year’s winner Diesel with 8.81/10.

The eternally popular Jason Statham’s lack of hair still isn’t putting off fans, with the actor scooping the third spot in the scientifically-backed list, while Samuel L Jackson made it into fourth and Jeff Bezos made up the top five, which may no doubt raise some eye brows.

Rounding off the top ten sexiest bald men are Michael Jordan (7/10), Dwayne Johnson (6.9/10), Shemar Moore (6.8/10), Shaquille O’Neal (6.5/10) and Terry Crews (6.3/10).

The sexiest bald men according to science

1. Prince William

Science has revealed Prince William to be the world’s ‘sexiest bald man’. (Getty Images)
Scoring an impressive, 9.88/10, the Prince of Wales has, once again, been crowned the sexiest bald man of 2023. Considered something of a heartthrob in his fuller-locked younger years, it seems the the future king is having something of a renaissance, with 37,000 fans (roughly 9,500 more than Vin Diesel) around the globe scrolling for ‘shirtless’ images of the British royal.

His smooth scalp scored 74% for shine factor, his face a 72% score on the golden ratio and his voice an attractive score of 9.91 out of ten – second only to NBA analyst, Shaquille O’Neal, who has the sexiest voice among those analysed.

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2. Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel has lost his ‘world’s hottest bald man’ crown. (Getty Images)
Despite claiming the title of sexiest bald man in 2022, Vin Diesel has been dethroned in 2023, ranking in second place with a still impressive final sexy score of 8.81/10.

Vin Diesel’s bald head ranked number one for shine factor out of all the celebrities compared, with a score of 74%. Additionally, his deep voice scored an 8.83 out of ten for attractiveness. Despite measuring close to the average height for males at 5 ft 9, this was not quite enough to beat Prince William’s impressive 6 ft 2 stature.

3. Jason Statham

Jason Statham scooped third spot. (Getty Images)
Renowned for his good looks and cheeky British charm, Jason Statham came in third sport, scoring a total of 8.51/10.

When it comes to the golden ratio, Statham landed the top facial symmetry score (79%) on the list. The British actor also boasts 26,000 global yearly topless searches, and an appealing cranial shine factor score of 73%.

4. Samuel L. Jackson

He may be 74, but Samuel L Jackson can still cut it in the sexy stakes. (Getty Images)
After being named the ‘sexiest man alive’ by Glamour Magazine this November, it’s easy to see why Samuel L. Jackson claimed a place within the top five on the this list too.

The 74-year-old appears to be ageing like fine wine, landing an impressive golden ratio score of 73%. With a deep and confident voice, the respected actor also achieves a 7.36 for vocal attractiveness, earning him an overall sexiness score of 7.31/10.

5. Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos makes up the top five sexiest bald men. (Getty Images)
Money talks, which may help explain why the world’s second richest man has scooped a top spot on this list. With a net worth of over $144 billion, Jeff Bezos can add scientifically sexy to his list of appealing traits. Bezos scoring an overall 7.12/10 for attractiveness.

Despite standing at the shortest on the list at 5 ft 6, Bezos makes up for it in public interest, in which over 52,000 people around the globe this year have been surprisingly curious in their search for ‘shirtless’ and ‘naked’ pictures of the billionaire, accumulating more fascination for his bared chest than any other celebrity on the list.

Prince Harry “fears bringing Archie and Lilibet to the UK” amid the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing legal battle, GB News’s Royal Correspondent has claimed.

On the latest episode of The Royal Record Podcast, GB News’s Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker and the Digital Editor Svar Nanan-Sen spoke about the recent developments in the Royal Family, including Prince Harry’s legal battle against the Home Office.

The Duke of Sussex was stripped of his police protection when visiting the UK after he stepped down as a working royal in 2020, which he is currently fighting through a court case.

Cameron argued that Harry, 39, is hesitant to bring his children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, to the UK because of this lack of taxpayer-funded protection.

Prince Harry is scared of taking Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the UK

Netflix

He said: “You remember in the Netflix documentary series, Meghan spoke very openly and quite emotionally about this, the fear she had in terms of her family’s safety, checking all the doors were locked at night in her Montecito house and worried for her children’s safety as well.

“Prince Harry still has an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over their decisions to change the level of his police protection when he stood back as a working member of the Royal Family, and he’s been granted permission to appeal the decision.”

Svar added: “You can see how passionately Harry feels about that and how important of an issue it is to him.

“He suffered a couple of court defeats now and he’s still fighting his way, plus he’s got another appeal coming up.

Cameron Walker and Svar Nanan-Sen discussed the latest royal news on The Royal Record Podcast

GB News

“It is clearly something that they’re very concerned about. And I also don’t think Harry would be doing this if he didn’t envisage coming to the UK more regularly, both himself and his family. He clearly sees it as an important thing to be able to bring over his family.”

Cameron responded: “Well, that’s the crux of it because Harry’s case is he does not feel safe.

“He doesn’t feel his family is safe when they’re in the UK because they do not have police protection officers with the Metropolitan Police with him.

“So perhaps that is the main reason why Prince Harry isn’t bringing Meghan and Archie and Lilibet over to the UK because he can’t guarantee, he would say he can’t guarantee their safety.

Prince Harry is currently locked in a court battle over his police protection in the UK

Meghan Markle has spoken about the ‘fears’ of protecting her children’s safety

Netflix

“And I think in the back of his mind constantly since August 31, 1997, is look what happened to my mother.

“She chose to not have her protection officers. But the point being, she didn’t have police protection with her when she died in the car crash in Paris. And I think that really affected Prince Harry.

“So I think you can see how from Prince Harry’s perspective, he is really fearful about bringing his family over to the UK.”

 

A collection of royal memorabilia including dresses, coats, letters and more from notable family outcasts like Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana went on sale yesterday in California – the home of the exiled Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

One of Diana’s dresses, a Murray Arbeid midnight blue strapless tulle Diamante Star gown, sold for a staggering $780,000 (£617,000) at Beverly Hills’s luxury Peninsula Hotel on June 27 – just days before the 43rd anniversary of the then-Lady Spencer’s marriage to Charles.

The auction, held by Julien’s Auctions and named “Princess Diana’s Elegance & A Royal Collection”, started at 10am local time on Thursday (6pm UK time), and likened Diana to a “Hollywood starlet” in its promotional material.

Julien’s said the auction “not only preserves Diana’s enduring legacy but also pays homage to the broader influence of the British monarchy on popular culture, spanning centuries of regal elegance and intrigue”.

Diana’s dresses like this one by Murray Arbeid sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars

Getty/Julien’s Auctions

Diana had worn the stellar dress on a number of occasions

Getty

The auction house continued: “From the House of Hanover to the Windsors, each dynasty has left an indelible mark on fashion and lifestyle luxuries.

“Within this curated collection, one can explore a tapestry of royal heritage, from the exquisite handmade lace belonging to Queen Victoria to the French couture of the Duchess of Windsor, culminating in the ultimate royal icon of style: Princess Diana.”

The top seller, a black lace Victor Edelstein dress, reached a staggering $910,000 (£720,000) in the sale – while numerous other dresses reached bids in the high six figures.

While the aforementioned Arbeid dress, which Princess Diana wore to the 1986 premiere of the Phantom of the Opera, “epitomised the era’s zeitgeist, sparked “Di-mania” and solidified her status as a fashion icon”, Julien’s said.

Getty/Julien’s Auctions

Many of Diana’s dresses reached bids in the high six figures.

Julien’s Auctions

Elsewhere in the sale sat a number of items of memorabilia from historical monarchs; a pair of monogrammed green needle point slippers from the disgraced King Edward VIII sold for over $5,000 – beating its estimate by a factor of almost 10.

Julien’s noted how the Duke of Windsor “created his style among the royal family, opting for bold large-scale checks, oversized lapels, and cuffed pant legs”.

“His style reflected his personality and preference for Scottish tartans and tweed, making his attire distinct”, the auction house added.

While a Maximilian fur coat owned by Wallis Simpson after the royal couple were banished from Britain quintupled its estimate, selling for $5,200 (£4,100).

Also on offer were a number of items owned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor

Julien’s Auctions

Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936

Getty

The Sussexes live a stone’s throw from the auction in nearby Montecito

Reuters

But the auction’s California locale raised eyebrows for its proximity to another infamous royal duo: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live on the American West Coast in nearby Montecito.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, currently knee-deep in a feud with their London-based family, have been the subject of speculation over a possible return to Britain’s shores.

Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker, co-hosting GB News’ podcast The Royal Record, was asked whether there was any long-term chance of the Sussexes repairing their feud with the Royal Family.

Cameron said: “I don’t think they want – well, I don’t think Meghan wants – to be a working member of the Royal Family again, because clearly she disliked it so much last time. She talked about it at length during the Oprah Winfrey interview – so I don’t see that happening.

“I think it’s very sad that Prince Harry has effectively lost most physical contact with his nearest and dearest, even if there’s the occasional video call to Montecito.”

 

The Sussexes are “always sucking up to Hollywood royalty”, Richard Eden said

The Duke and Duchess thought they could hold a parallel ‘royal court’ in California, Richard Eden claimed

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been blasted for unsuccessfully “sucking up to Hollywood royalty” in the wake of Taylor Swift’s internet-breaking selfies with Prince William and his children.

The singer-songwriter sensation had posed with the Prince of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte on William’s 42nd birthday after he took the two royal children to one of her Eras Tour concerts last week.

Photos of the musical and the royals alongside Swift’s NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce, had gone viral online, prompting praise for Taylor’s enthusiasm and William’s on-the-pulse celebrity hobnobbing alike.

But after it came to light that Meghan Markle allegedly wrote Taylor Swift a “personal letter” inviting the popstar to appear on her much-maligned podcast – which was swiftly rebuked – the Sussexes have been panned for their failed attempts at cosying up to stars on the other side of the Atlantic.

The Sussexes are “always sucking up to Hollywood royalty”, Richard Eden said

PA/X

The Sussexes have been panned for their failed attempts at cosying up to stars

PA

The Mail’s Richard Eden highlighted the disparities between William and Kate’s, and Harry and Meghan’s, approaches to celebrity networking.

Eden said: “It’s a very different relationship because, essentially, Taylor Swift is here and she wants to show her respect for the Royal Family.

“In a way, you could say [she is] paying court to Prince William – whereas with Harry and Meghan, it’s the other way round.

“They’re the ones who seem to be always sucking up to Hollywood royalty.

Meghan and Harry’s approach to celebrity networking was put on blast

“They thought when they moved to California, ‘we’ll be at the centre of this sort of royal court and everyone will come to see us.’

“But it never seems to be working out like that.”

In another indictment of the contrast between the Sussexes’ and Waleses’ celebrity engagements, Royal and Showbiz reporter Kinsey Schofield told GB News’ Mark Dolan that Swift was “siding with Team Wales”.

Schofield said: “So I think we are seeing Taylor side with Team Wales here over the last few hours… A lot of people are pointing out the pictures of Meghan and Harry at the Beyoncé concert, where Harry looks pretty miserable, versus Prince William shaking his tail feathers at the Taylor Swift concert.”

But celebrity engagements aren’t the only way the Sussexes have tried their hand at a foray into Hollywood stardom; the pair have, of course, partnered up with Netflix over the years for a number of reality TV-style projects.

Just weeks ago, when it emerged that the exiled pair would release another duo of documentaries based on cooking and professional polo, commentators slammed the move – Director of the Common Sense Society Emma Webb said the royal couple were “bleeding talent from a stone” and slated the new productions as the “latest ridiculous thing” to come from the Sussexes.

And author and broadcaster Amy Nickell-Turner jokingly jabbed that royal fans have been “waiting with bated breath to see what will they do next”.

Nickell-Turner claimed that Netflix are “really keen to get some good content out of the pair”, noting that their contract with the company is “worth a bazillion pounds and is for five years”.

Meghan and Harry’s approach to celebrity networking was put on blast

PA

Queen Camilla was allegedly left feeling hurt after Prince Harry made a series of explosive comments in his memoir, Spare

Queen Camilla pays tribute to Prince Harry amid rift with royal family?

Queen Camilla has apparently paid a touching tribute to King Charles, Prince William and Harry in her message to mark the armed forces day.

The palace shared a video message of Camilla on social media and said, “The Queen has recorded a message to thank all serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their families on Armed Forces Day 2024.”

The Queen says in her video message, “In times of war and in times of peace, whether seen or unseen, our Armed Forces support and strengthen our nation. You are a source of inspiration, reassurance and pride – and I salute you all.”

Prince Harry had served in the Army for 10 years, undertaking two tours of Afghanistan and rising to the rank of captain.

The Duke undertook two tours of Afghanistan — as a Forward Air Controller from 2007 to 2008 and as an Apache Pilot from 2012 to 2013.

During his time in the unit, Harry qualified as an Apache Aircraft Commander and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2011.

Prince Harry is no longer trying to be a working royal, as per GB News. He is content in California despite frustrations. Walker believes he is focused on managing independently.

FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Harry arrives to attend the Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, in London, Britain, May 8, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo(REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo)

Prince Harry is “trying to go at it alone” and “not trying to become a working royal” again, according to GB News Royal correspondent Cameron Walker. The Duke of Sussex quit his role as a working royal in January 2020 and moved to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Walker was asked if the recent events involving senior Royals stepping back—three in total, one in the hospital and two regularly visiting for treatment—might have influenced Prince Harry to adopt a more responsible role.

Walker believes the situation isn’t related to temporary absences of Royal Family members like the Princess of Wales and Princess Anne. Instead, he thinks the individual is attempting to manage on his own and isn’t trying to reintegrate as a working member of the Royal Family.

“I think he is pretty happy in California from the messages we are getting from him, but clearly it is a huge frustration. I think perhaps for those Royal watchers and those Royal fans who think what could have been if he stayed as a working member and how much he could have perhaps helped,” he added.

Walker commented that, if Meghan had remained a working member of the Royal Family, especially when the monarchy appeared quite slimmed down, the situation would have been very different.

Prince Harry ‘angry and frustrated’

“I think over the last few years, it’s been pretty clear that Prince Harry has been pretty angry and frustrated with the situation he’s ended up being in. There’s been long periods of absence, I think, from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” he added.

Prince Harry’s passion and enjoyment, according to Walker, clearly lie in military engagements and promoting military causes, which is evident in his activities.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry plans a surprise visit to the UK to improve relations with the Royal Family after being ignored multiple times recently. He believes he must take the initiative to mend these relationships, revealed an insider.

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King Charles’ decision left his ‘darling boy’ Prince Harry shattered, claims royal expert

King Charles makes Prince Harry cry with major decision about life in UK

King Charles made his ‘darling boy’ Prince Harry cry after he ordered him to leave his UK residence, making sure the Duke has no home to come back to.

Few weeks after the Duke of Sussex penned his explosive memoir Spare, he was asked to vacate the Frogmore Cottage, given to him and Meghan Markle by late Queen Elizabeth.

It has now been revealed that Prince William’s brother was left in tears after he heard of the decision of his father and felt that it was purely a vindictive move.

Speaking with The Mirror about Harry’s reaction over Frogmore eviction, royal expert Tom Quinn said, “At the time, few people realized what a slap in the face the eviction from Frogmore felt like for Harry — it was the last straw.”

“Harry was absolutely furious and in tears about being evicted from Frogmore — he felt his father had no right to do it and that it was purely vindictive.

“Harry couldn’t see that choosing to stop being a working royal would inevitably mean being deprived of his royal residence.

“Harry took it as a cruel rejection — a painful reminder of all that he felt when his father fought with his mother during their long drawn out, painful divorce,” Quinn added.

 

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are trying to understand the fact that their stance against the royal family will damage their reputation further among their fans.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex seem to be fed up with their own plan to highlight the “dirty things” about their own people as all their stunts have failed to damage the monarchy.

Meghan, who has been accused of driving a wedge between Harry and the royal family, has now moved on from the royals.

The Duchess of Sussex is making all her efforts to prove her value without the royal family and rekindling her friendship with the people in the showbiz industry where she previously belonged.

Some royal experts believe that Meghan and Harry have lost their battle with The Firm, claiming that the couple have almost given into the royal family in war they launched themselves after stepping down as senior working royals in 2020.

On the other hand, Showbiz commentator Kinsey Schofield has also claimed the US-based couple are “struggling to prove their value” without the royal family and “desperately wishing” for peace with their relatives.

There are also speculations that King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton have also closed their minds and stopped thinking about the Sussexes.