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Prince Harry is set to be honored as a living legend of aviation at a California awards show hosted by John Travolta. The announcement came via the Living Legends of Aviation website, which honors the Duke of Sussex and three other aviators who contributed significantly to aviation/aerospace.

Prince Harry’s honor comes after years of training as an Apache Helicopter Pilot

The 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards will be held on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, and will honor those who have made significant contributions to the aviation and aerospace worlds. Prince Harry is set to be featured alongside Navy pilot Fred George, CAE president and CEO Marc Parent, and American aviator Steve Hinton.

Prince Harry’s nomination comes after serving in the British Army for 10 years. He undertook two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot.

John Travolta hosts the event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The organization calls him the “official ambassador of aviation.”

What is the Living Legends of Aviation? Who are its members?

The Living Legends of Aviation is an award recognizing achievements in the aerospace industry. The current title holders nominate the newest inductees.

The Living Legends have made substantial contributions to the aviation world. These include innovators, record-breakers, astronauts, aviation entrepreneurs, industrial leaders, and celebrity pilots.

The idea for the Living Legends of Aviation was originated by Jerry Lips, publisher of Airport Journals. He compiled a list of those significantly contributing to the aviation industry. It currently boasts 128 living legends.

Prince Harry’s award comes after being snubbed for Sandhurst’s most notable graduates list

Prince Harry photographed at The Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15, 2017 in Camberley, England.
Prince Harry photographed at The Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15, 2017, in Camberley, England | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
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The Duke of Sussex’s nomination comes on the heels of being ignored by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on its list of 200 most prominent graduates. The Duke of Sussex was not chosen as one of the leading people who served at the military academy.

However, Harry’s older brother, Prince William, was included on the list. GBNews spoke to Former British Army Commander Richard Kemp about Harry’s snub.

Kemp said: “I probably would have included him, on balance. But it is not disappointing not to see him in there. But I don’t think he did anything particularly notable during his service. However, he was certainly a significant person to go to Sandhurst.”

He concluded, “I suspect the recent disharmony between him and the royal family has led them to decide against having him. However, Harry said in Spare, the Army taught him to see the enemy as less than human — which is not what we were taught. Thus, that has overshadowed many of the great things that he has done.”

However, it has not yet been announced whether or not Prince Harry will accept his award in person. He lives in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.