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Prince Harry is one of the four chosen inductees who will be honored at the 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards on January 19, 2024. The announcement was made on the event’s website on Wednesday, January 10.
As per the announcement, John Travolta – the “Official Ambassador of Aviation” – will be hosting the award show, which is set to be held in Beverly Hills, California. Harry will be honored for “his work as a British Army veteran and pilot.”
As one of the 2024 inductees, Prince Harry was introduced as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist” on the Living Legends of Aviation Instagram handle.
The Instagram post also talked about his 10 years of service in the British Army, the establishment of the Invictus Games Foundation, and his patronage of global charities like Travalyst, WellChild, and Sentebale. His autobiography, Spare, was also praised as “notably the fastest-selling non-fiction book in history.”
According to the Royal UK, the Duke of Sussex was qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February 2012. Winning the Living Legends of Aviation Award will engrave Prince Harry’s name alongside other heroes of the aerospace industry, including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
A peek into Prince Harry's life as a British Army veteran and pilot
According to the Royal UK, the Duke of Sussex initiated his military career in May 2005 by joining the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. In April 2006, he was commissioned as an Army Officer. Two years later, the Duke passed the Pilot’s Selection Board Interview and began training to become an Army Air Corps Pilot.
Prince Harry was selected to train on an Apache Attack Helicopter after completing his course. He participated in two operational tours of Afghanistan between 2007-2008. The Duke of Sussex was promoted to the rank of Captain in April 2011 and qualified as an Apache Aircraft Commander in July 2013.
While the Duke of Sussex was stripped of all his military titles when he left the Royal family in 2020, he continues to work with the Personal Recovery Unit as a volunteer.
Beyond Prince Harry, the other 2024 Living Legends of Aviation Awards inductees include Fred George, Marc Parent, and Steve Hinton. Fred George is a world-renowned navy pilot and aviation writer, Marc Parent is the CEO and President of CAE, and Steve Hinton is a record-holding aviator for the fastest flight between 1979-1989.
Netizens are thrilled about Prince Harry being inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation
The announcement of Prince Harry's upcoming induction into the Annual Living Legends of Aviation Award has created quite a buzz among fans who took to X to praise and congratulate the Duke on this achievement.
The Duke has always been openly proud of his time in the British Army. In a 2023 interview with 60 Minutes, the Duke reminisced how the army provided him a much-needed reprieve from the media’s spotlight after his mother, Princess Diana, died.
"My military career saved me in many regards. It got me out of the spotlight from the UK Press."
The Living Legends of Aviation Awards will be held on Friday in Beverly Hills, California. Whether or not the British Royal family arrives to witness this important achievement of the Duke of Sussex remains to be seen.
