Prince Harry’s Living Legend of Aviation award is thanks to a Hollywood film star who reportedly pushed for the Duke of Sussex to be honoured.
John Travolta was one of Harry’s “biggest supporters” amongst existing honourees and committing members as they decided who would be selected for induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame at this year’s ceremony, the Mirror reports.
Harry will be inducted at a star-studded ceremony in Beverly Hills on Friday January 19, although it is not known if he will be attending with his wife Meghan Markle.
Insiders on the committee insist that Harry was not just chosen due to his military career, but also to his founding of the Invictus Games and his continued philanthropic efforts around the world.
The Duke is said to be “humbled” by the honour, as he prepares to join ground-breaking astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in the Hall of Fame.
John Travolta, who famously starred in films such as Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction, is the host of the private gala and maintains a “strong emotional link and connection” due to his relationship to Princess Diana.
Back in 1985 the movie star famously spun the then-Princess of Wales around the dancefloor at the White House, where they were being hosted by Ronald Reagan.
The two danced together for 15 minutes, while songs such as You’re the One That I Want from Grease played, with Travolta later describing it as “one of the highlights of my life”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also spent time hanging out together at The Beverly Hills Hotel’s ultra-VIP Polo Lounge in 2023, after he attended an event hosted by the Archewell Foundation.
However, some royal commentators have blasted the decision to name Harry a Living Legend, as they believe his military record is no more distinguished than anyone else’s.
Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk: “The term ‘Living Legend’ surely does not apply here, if to him then why not to every pilot who has seen service?
“No doubt his founding of the Invictus Games has been taken into account but ‘Living Legend’ is surely ridiculous. Prince Harry was a brave Apache pilot during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
“He was, however, unwise enough to list the number of Taliban he personally killed in his autobiography Spare which drew much criticism.”
Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp told The Sun that the award amounts to just “celebrities massaging each other’s egos”, as he said: “He was a gunner in an Apache helicopter in Afghanistan but so were many, many other people.
“I can think of many people who did pretty extraordinary things while serving in the British and American armed forces which would be much more deserving of an award like this.”
