Royal news live: Prince Harry award backlash continues as the Middletons appear at Wimbledon

Prince Harry has been defended as a petition calling for a “rethink” on the decision to give him an award for veterans approaches almost 60,000 signatures.

The Duke of Sussex , 39, is set to receive the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games , which celebrates the sporting achievements of wounded, sick and injured service people.

But tens of thousands of people, including the late Tillman’s mother, Mary, believe there are more deserving recipients.

Now the sporting network behind the award, ESPN, has defended its decision, hailing the “incredible” work of the games.

“While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” a spokesperson told Sky News .

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton’s parents Michael and Carole are making their second public outing since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis at Wimbledon.

The couple are set to appear in the Royal Box, which has the tournament’s best view of Centre Court.