A defense chief has hit out after Prince Harry beat historic British astronaut Tim Peake to be named a ‘Legend of Aviation’ for his work piloting an army helicopter in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been recognized for the gong ahead of fellow veteran Apache gunship pilot-turned-astronaut Peake, 51, who in 2016 became the first British astronaut to walk in space during a trip to the International Space Station.
Harry will be inducted this Friday at a glitzy awards ceremony hosted by actor and aviation ambassador John Travolta in Beverly Hills, California, where VIP tables can cost £30,000.
The Duke scooped the award despite once being ‘number two’ in his helicopter and acting as a gunner in Afghanistan – with his gong success today branded a ‘pathetic’ publicity stunt by Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy.
Commenting on Harry’s award, the Cold War naval commander told MailOnline: ‘He is not a living legend of aviation. To suggest he is is pathetic. It makes it all a bit nonsense when they are willing to choose someone like Prince Harry.
Prince Harry’s work as a British Army veteran and pilot will be honored at this year’s 21st annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards. In the photo 2012
Tim Peake served in the British Army for 17 years before becoming an astronaut and spending six months on the International Space Station
Admiral Lord Alan West, former head of the Royal Navy, said he was outraged that the Duke of Sussex had been recognized because of people like Peake.
‘He’s not a living legend. There are many people who deserve to be called that, but not Prince Harry. I think it is special that he has been chosen.
“He didn’t perform any great exciting feats of amazing flying skills while flying for the Army.
‘They’re just trying to get publicity. They know this will cause an uproar. I actually find it all quite sad.’
Retired British Army Colonel Richard Kemp also lashed out, claiming the awards were about “celebrities massaging each other’s egos.”
‘I can think of many people who did some pretty extraordinary things while serving in the British and American armed forces and who would be much more deserving of an award like this.’ he told The sun.
He added: “It’s clearly because of who he is – not because of what he did. An Apache is manned by two people: a pilot and a gunner. Harry was a gunner. He was number two on the plane.”
The decorated event was previously dubbed the Oscars of aviation by actor Morgan Freeman – who has also been hailed as a ‘living legend’.
Harry will join a host of famous faces, including Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin, Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, both qualified pilots, and billionaires Elon Musk and Jeffrey Bezos, who own their own space companies.
Former ‘living legends’ are involved in nominating and selecting the next generation of nominees, with Travolta, Bezos, Ford, Freeman and Musk among the high-profile stars who could have had a say in the move.
Lauren Sanchez, the 53-year-old fiancée of Amazon founder Bezos, will also receive an honor at the gongs next week, receiving the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award, highlighting her work in business and as a helicopter pilot. .
Top Gun star Tom Cruise is among the ‘Living Legends’ inducted at the awards ceremony
Buzz Aldrin is the current ‘legend’ on the roll, with Neil Armstrong (left) a former member. (Pictured with Michael Collins, the third member of the Apollo 11 moon landing astronauts)
Armstrong and Aldrin were the first people to step on the moon’s surface in July 1969
It is understood the Duke’s work in setting up the Invictus Games Foundation will also be celebrated, according to the awards. It is not clear whether Harry or his wife Meghan Markle will attend the ceremony.
Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, the organization behind Harry’s new gong, is a non-profit organization that aims to spark an interest in aviation among children and young people.
Former RAF Tornado G4 fighter pilot Tim Davies said he could understand why the organization behind the award would want someone with Prince Harry’s famous influence on board.
But the retired Squadron Leader told MailOnline: ‘That said, there were certainly many more obvious candidates for the award, such as the Apache crew who, under heavy enemy fire, strapped four Royal Marines to their aircraft and flew to flew in to pick up Lance Corporal Mathew Ford’s. body after being killed by enemy fire – but if (Harry’s) award can inspire young children to fly, then I’m all for it.’
However, the Prince’s nomination raised eyebrows on social media.
One person wrote on
Another said: ‘Is this a joke? What are the legendary things he has done? I’m asking seriously! What the hell did he do?’
Fans of the Sussexes rallied around the prince and sent their congratulations to ‘soldier Harry’ as he completed two tours of Afghanistan.
The event was created in 2003 to honor those who make significant contributions to aerospace.
People who are still “living” are included on the list, replacing former inductees who have passed away, such as Neil Armstrong.
The Duke completed two tours of Afghanistan as a forward air controller and as an Apache helicopter pilot, having flown numerous training missions in Britain, the US and Australia.
He served in the army for ten years and rose to the rank of captain.
Other space icons set to be inaugurated alongside the prince this year include US Navy pilot Fred George and former world speed record holder Steve Hinton.
The event’s website also praised the Duke for his work with charities and organizations including Travalyst, Sentebale, African Parks, WellChild and the Invictus Games.
During his second tour of Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013. Pictured in 2012
The decorated event – hosted by John Travolta this Friday in Beverley Hills, California – will see the royal family inaugurated alongside other space icons including Fred George and Steve Hinton. Harry pictured in September
Some people took to social media to express their confusion over the Duke’s inclusion on the list, while fans of the Sussexes rallied around the prince.
A statement on the event’s website read: ‘Prince Harry is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmentalist.
“He has dedicated his life to advancing causes he is passionate about and that create permanent change for people and places.”
The event website also highlights Harry’s efforts as a “humanitarian, mental health advocate and environmental activist,” and details his work with Travalyst, Sentebale, African Parks, WellChild, BetterUp the Aspen Institute Commission on Information Disorder – and The Archewell Foundation.
It also praised the duke’s “compassion, vulnerability and unflinching honesty” in his memoir Spare.
Early last year, Harry said his military career “saved” him after the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, by helping him “turn his pain into purpose.”
During the second tour of Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013.
In an explosive tell-all interview with 60 Minutes in 2023, the Royal said the role was his ‘calling’.
“My military career saved me in many ways,” he told host Anderson Cooper. ‘It has taken me out of the spotlight of the British press.
His brother, William, Prince of Wales, trained with the RAF as a search and rescue pilot in 2009, before becoming an air ambulance pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance for two years from March 2015.
The event – produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy – commemorates ‘notable people with extraordinary achievements in aviation’ – and the ‘Legends’ meet annually to honor emerging leaders in the industry.