Earlier this week, Prince Harry made the long flight from his home in California to be at the King’s side. The King was recuperating at Clarence House, where the monarch was getting care after being diagnosed with cancer.
The largest honor of the evening was given to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive player Cameron Heyward by Harry at the ceremony when he accepted the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
It happens after Harry traveled thousands of miles on Tuesday to be by the King’s side from his home in California.
He spent about forty-five minutes with his father at Clarence House, where the King was recuperating from medical care.
Harry left for the US on Wednesday without seeing his brother Prince William or his sister-in-law Kate, the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from scheduled abdominal surgery.
After Harry left his royal duties in early 2020 to live in the US with his wife Meghan and their two children, two-year-old Lilibet and four-year-old Archie, the brothers’ relationship has been strained for a number of years.
Since relocating to the United States, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been
critical of the Royal Family in television interviews, citing Harry’s recently released book, Spare.
At Thursday night’s NFL awards event, Harry made his public debut for the first time since his father’s diagnosis. He made a joke about how the US “stole rugby from us and you made it your own” when introducing the prize.
“Instead of passing it backwards, just pass it forwards,” he stated. “Why not put on a helmet and pads?
“Joking aside, you guys really amaze me with what you accomplish both on and off the field. Millions of people look up to you because of the way you conduct yourself and give back.