ESPN respond to Prince Harry award backlash as Charles’ Scotland trip is cut short

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s current trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week is set to be cut short as a result of the General Election.

Following its announcement, the royal family said they would postpone any events “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign”.

The couple’s engagements began in Edinburgh yesterday with the Ceremony of the Keys, which saw the Monarch ceremonially given the keys to the city.

They also took part in an event acknowledging the work of Scottish authors and hosted the Soverign’s Garden Party at the Palace of Holyrood House.

Prince Harry has been defended after a petition calling on sports network ESPN to “rethink” its decision to give him an award for veterans reached 50,000 signatures.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, is set to receive the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games.

It is given to veterans with a “strong connection to sports” who have served their country in a similar way to Tillman, who gave up his football career to join the forces in the wake of 9/11.

“ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honouring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of The Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world,” ESPN said in a statement to Sky News.

“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.”

A royal expert has claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “trying to buy the public’s respect”.

The claim comes after Prince Harry recently came under fire for his upcoming receipt of the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield told Talk TV: “I see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle accepting more trophies for awards that I don’t understand what they’re for, than this life of service that they promised us. How many awards did Meghan accept for her podcast that was cancelled and slammed by her own network?

“This is all a game to them [Harry and Meghan]. I guess they’re trying to buy the public’s respect, they’re trying to buy good PR through networking and creating these opportunities to collect trophies for their mantle, but I think the public sees through these individuals.”

Schofield’s comments echo those behind a petition urging ESPN to “rethink” its decision to give Harry the Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games.

They wrote: “His role in the Invictus games, a platform meant to celebrate the resilience and dedication of veterans, has been criticised as self-centered.”

Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary, also slammed the decision and claimed there were more deserving recipients of the award for veterans.

Meghan Markle’s estranged father has shared his thoughts on a “very sad” situation regarding his two grandchildren.

Thomas Markle, who has never met Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet, said he believes they are being denied the right to get to know their cousins, the Wales children.

He has also called into question Meghan and Harry’s decision to remain on seemingly frosty terms with the wider royal family, resulting in their absence from events like Trooping the Colour.

“It struck me as very sad that Meghan and Harry’s kids are being denied the right to know their cousins, who look like fantastic children, or take part in things like Trooping the Colour, which is their birthright,” he told New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.

A petition urging organisers to “rethink” their decision to give Prince Harry an award for his work with the Invictus Games has now had over 40,000 signatures.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, is set to receive the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the games, which celebrates the sporting achievements of wounded, sick or injured service people.

However, those favouring the petition believe that Prince Harry is not a suitable recipient.

The Change.org petition reads: “Prince Harry, while a former military officer, has been involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honour of this magnitude.

“He has faced accusations of endangering his squadron by publicly revealing military kills.

It then references a story in Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, in which he wrote that he used a Typhoon to target his father’s car during training.

It adds: “More recently, his role in the Invictus Games, a platform meant to celebrate the resilience and dedication of veterans, has been criticised as self-centered.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly been offered the chance to move to a new royal residence.

While the couple currently live at the nearby Adelaide Cottage, which has four bedrooms, it has been claimed that King Charles has offered them the Royal Lodge.

The Grade II listed seven-bedroom property is Prince Andrew’s longstanding home, which King Charles has reportedly asked him to leave.

Royal expert Gareth Russell said that giving the Wales family the important royal property is the “logical choice”.

“The logical choice, of course, would be the Prince and Princess of Wales, but they’ve shown relatively little interest in moving home again,” Russell said. “They seem quite content where they are.”

Former Royal correspondent Charles Rae told the Royal Exclusive: “Well, I think it is down to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to make the first move. Whether or not it would be accepted by William and Catherine, I doubt very much it would be.

“There’s too much water which has gone under that bridge. After everything Harry and Meghan have done with the Oprah Winfrey interview, that Netflix show. Spare. The flamboyant curtsey by Meghan on the show as well.”

An unearthed book has claimed that Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer had serious reservations about Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle.

He was reportedly left “disappointed” that Harry had likened Meghan to his late mother, Tom Bower claimed in Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors.

“Harry assumed that Diana’s family and friends would see a similarity between Diana and his fiancée,” he wrote.

“He was disappointed. No one agreed that his vulnerable mother had anything in common with his girlfriend. More discomforting for him, they thought Meghan would not fit in with the Royal Family.”

“Their unease was voiced by Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother,” Bower added.

“At William’s request, Spencer weighed in. Three times married, Spencer cautioned his nephew to reconsider his haste towards marriage. His advice provoked a bitter reaction.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh for the start of Holyrood Week.

The trip will consist of several events, beginning with the Ceremony of the Keys today (2 July), which will see the Monarch ceremonially presented with the keys to the city.

Holyrood Week, or Scottish Week, is an annual event where the royals spend a week in the Palace of Holywood and celebrate Scottish culture, achievement and community.