Prince Harry will be inducted as a ‘living legend’ of aviation alongside Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin at a glitzy ceremony in Beverly Hills hosted by John Travolta.
The 39-year-old Duke of Sussex has been recognized ahead of Charles Duke, who in 1972 at the age of 36 became the youngest person to walk on the moon.
The decorated event is hosted by John Travolta and was previously named the Oscars of aviation by actor Morgan Freeman.
It’s understood his 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.
Harry’s inclusion on the list of inductees has raised eyebrows on social media, with some confused and wondering why he was on the list.
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
During his second tour of Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013. Pictured in 2012
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.
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
Harry will take his place alongside other aerospace legends including Aldrin, Jeff Bezos, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Elon Musk and Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud.
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.
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.”
The Duke served in the army for a total of ten years and rose to the rank of captain.
During the second tour of Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013.
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.
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
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.