Prince Harry Expressed ‘Sadness’ in Speech; Duke is Not Used to ‘Having to Hustle’ and ‘Paying People a Lot of Money’
Royal watchers can’t stop talking about Prince Harry‘s speech at the 2024 ESPYs. The Duke of Sussex was honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, a decision that was met with backlash from many including Tilman’s mother.
Despite that and a petition to ESPN, which had over 75,000 signatures, urging the sports giant to give the award to someone “more deserving,” Harry collected the hardware for his work with the Invictus Games and delivered a five-minute speech while doing so.
Here’s what a body language expert noticed during the duke’s speech and what a commentator said about Harry having to “hustle” and “pay people a lot of money” to rack up his awards.
Commentator claims Prince Harry has to ‘pay a lot of people’ and ‘hustle’ to get awards
On her YouTube channel Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, the royal commentator and podcast host talked about how Harry “has to hustle” these days and “pay people” to give him a boost, which is something he’s never had to do before.
Schofield said: “Prince Harry went almost 40 years of his life having everything done for him. Now, he’s having to hustle and I don’t think that he enjoys that. I don’t think he enjoys going to bed at night worrying about if Netflix is going to give them a renegotiated contract. I just don’t think that’s something he’s comfortable with when you grow up in such a life of privilege.
“Let’s be honest, he’s paying a PR team a lot of money to reach out to people like ESPN and the Aviation Awards, and to make these contacts with John Travolta so John Travolta can put in a good word for him. They’re [Sussexes] paying people to make these introductions and to get them on their radar.”
Expert says Harry ‘processed his emotions’ with expressions of ‘sadness’ during speech
Whether or not the prince was the most “deserving” choice for the award or if he “used his platform” to get it, an expert observed Harry displaying “inner pride” and “honor” as he delivered his speech.
Body language and behavioral expert Darren Stanton spoke on behalf of Betfair Roulette, explaining: “Prince Harry’s body language was very strong when he accepted the award. He displayed a sense of honor and inner pride. When he was speaking about the Invictus Games, it was clear it was very close to his heart. When we look at his body language more specifically, both his feet were planted on the floor and barely moved. This is a clear sign of Harry feeling in control without an ounce of nervousness … Harry spoke with clarity, confidence, and passion – revealing he felt every word he came out with.
“When Harry paid a tribute to his mother, you can tell he was processing his emotions. He flashed expressions of sadness, which was understandable as he was thinking about her in that moment throughout his speech. However, he was able to keep calm and level-headed.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
