Prince Harry Makes Special Reference to Late Mom Princess Diana During Acceptance Speech

Prince Harry’s unwavering love for his mom, Princess Diana, is something I’ve always admired about the Duke of Sussex. No matter the occasion, the 39-year-old royal has never shied away from talking about the former Princess of Wales—and the 2024 ESPY Awards were no different. 

Last night, the Duke of Sussex was honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his inspiring work with the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women. 

While delivering his acceptance speech onstage, the royal spare gave a special nod to his late mom, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997. “Our advocacy for Pat's legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,” the royal said. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”

The father of two continued, “I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman award recipient, but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality. This award belongs to them, not to me.”

While Prince Harry honored Princess Di’s memory at the 2024 ESPYs, Prince William is paying tribute to their late mom in his own special way. 

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Prince of Wales, 42, is set to star in a two-part ITV docu-series titled Prince William: We Can End Homelessness. The upcoming docuseries will highlight the future king’s five-year initiative, Homewards, which was inspired by the work of his late mom. Fun fact: Princess Diana was a patron of Centrepoint, a U.K. organization that helps homeless youth.