Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at the 2024 ESPY Awards tonight!
The Duke of Sussex is being honored with a special Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award, the Pat Tillman Award, which he is receiving "in honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport."
Specifically, Prince Harry is being highlighted this evening for the Invictus Games, an athletic competition for injured, wounded, and sick veterans.
The Invictus Games, which Harry launched a decade ago, are a cause near and dear to the royal's heart. "The journey that we have all been on with Invictus, especially with competitors and their families, it continues, it always continues," he said earlier this year, and it's clear his effort is appreciated by those who participate in the Games. An Invictus alumni told T&C of the Sussexes: "The best way I can describe what the impact is of their involvement is: You feel like you’re seen and heard. You're not lost in the woods, you're not insignificant."
For the celebratory occasion this evening, Meghan wore a cream, high-neck Oscar de la Renta gown, paired with strappy sandals, and Harry kept it classic in a navy suit from Giorgio Armani.
The ESPYs are hosted by Meghan's close friend Serena Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022—a decision she revealed none other than Prince Harry helped her make. "I talked with Harry about [retirement] a lot as well," Williams shared on Meghan's podcast Archetypes. "He was trying to knock some sense into me... I just wanted to just walk away quietly. And that's how I've always seen my career. Just like, all right, I wanted to leave with no goodbyes." Meghan replies, "You're not going to do that. No one, no one in the planet would let you do that. You are too loved."
Tonight's appearance in Los Angeles is the first public appearance the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made since their three-day visit to Nigeria in May. They have been busy working on projects for Netflix, including a cooking and entertaining show hosted by Meghan (possibly tied to her new venture, American Riviera Orchard) and a docuseries about the world of professional polo.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
