Prince Harry smiles painfully amid the ongoing backlash.
Prince Harry has been praised for his determination and courage as he stood as a warrior amid mounting pressure and backlash.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex apparently sent a strong message to those who tried to tear down their morals as the couple put on a united front to triumph under all circumstances.
Rider Nanan Sen, writing for GB News, claimed that the Sussexes came out of the pain smiling and fighting.
All eyes were on Harry and Meghan at a lavish awards ceremony in Hollywood this week, where the Duke received the Pete Tillman Award for Service.
The royal's nomination for the award sparked weeks of backlash as many felt Harry did not deserve the honour. Even the American war hero's mother, Mary Tillman, publicly condemned the decision to name the royal honor after her son. More than 70,000 people signed a petition calling for ESPN to reconsider its decision.
For Prince Harry, who is passionate about helping the military community and has made it his mission, an angry reaction would hurt. Sources close to him claimed that the royals were stunned by the level of anger at his nomination.
Even her friend and event host Serena Williams cracked a joke at Sussex's expense. The tennis legend, who is particularly close to Meghan, joked that his hosting was overshadowed by allegations that the couple were "taking too much oxygen".
Harry and Meghan smiled awkwardly during the moment, which brought more attention to them on a night when the Duke of Sussex was already facing scrutiny.
Nevertheless, Harry showed unwavering resilience and delivered his acceptance speech which he chose to deal with public criticism.
The royals said in their acceptance speech that they respect him and are not accepting the Pat Tillman Award as Prince Harry, but as a representative of the Invictus Games Foundation.
It was a bold move, according to a royal observer, but Harry felt he had to after Pat Tillman's mother described him as a "divisive" figure.
