Prince Harry suffers Invictus Games blow as King Charles set for major 'upgrade'
The Duke of Sussex finds himself embroiled in an angry row after accepting an honour. Meanwhile, King Charles is to benefit from an £85,000 room upgrade ahead of his visit to Samoa.
Prince Harry has suffered a fresh blow after the CEO of the Invictus Foundation - the veterans charity the Royal founded - announced he was stepping down.
It comes as the Duke of Sussex found himself embroiled in an angry row after he accepted an honour, the Pat Tillman Award, for his work on the Invictus games. Meanwhile, King Charles is set to benefit from a rush to upgrade facilities in Samoa, ahead of his visit later this year.
While his father can look forward to an £85,000 upgrade at a hotel in Samoa, Harry faced a backlash after accepting an award given to veterans who have similarly made an impact through sport. The Duke, 39, was presented with the Pat Tilman Award - named after the late former American footballer who gave up his career to serve in the US military after the 9/11 terror attacks.
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However, Harry receiving the award has angered some people - including Mr Tillman’s mother, Mary - who believed there were more deserving recipients. She told the Mail Online: “I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.
“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.”
More than 77,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for demanding that someone other than Prince Harry receive the reward. It asked people sign the petition "to help preserve the integrity of the Pat Tillman Award" by ensuring it "continues to honour those truly deserving of recognition".
The former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord Alan West, had also urged Harry to decline the award. Lord West said it The Duke accepting the gong would not “travel well with people in the military”.
“I really think Harry should be well advised to sit back and not accept awards like this,” said Lord West. “It doesn’t travel well with people in the military. And when the mother of the man who died doesn’t want him to get this award, he should think about that.”
However, Harry accepted the award earlier this month - and praised the work of the Invictus Games. He said: “The beauty of the e Invictus games lies in how it brings people together, no matter one’s nationality, background, or personal struggles."
But the charity's CEO, Dominic Reid, has since quit. He insisted serving in the role had been "an honour" but was now "the right time" to step down.
He told Forces News: "I think now it requires energy and a fresh look to engage it and take it to the next level. I think it's a good time for all of us."
Harry said he said he was immensely grateful to Mr Reid for all he had done for Invictus. He said: “His tireless efforts over the past decade have supported thousands of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans through sports rehabilitation, helping to showcase their unparalleled strength and contribution to society.”
