Prince Harry is to be inducted alongside Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin as a ‘living legend’ of aviation at a glitzy Beverly Hills ceremony hosted by John Travolta.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been recognised ahead of the likes of Charles Duke – who became the youngest person to walk on the moon in 1972 when he was aged 36.
The decorated event will be hosted by John Travolta and has been previously been dubbed by actor Morgan Freeman as the Oscars of aviation.
It is understood that his work with 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 being named on the list of inductees has raised eyebrows on social media with some left confused and questioning why he was included.
Prince Harry’s work as a British Army veteran and pilot will be honoured at this year’s 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards. Pictured in 2012
During his second tour in Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013. Pictured in 2012
One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I look forward to every other military pilot in the world being given the same award based on his accomplishments in that field.’
Another added: ‘Is this a joke? What is the legendary stuff that he has done? I am asking seriously! What the heck has he done?’
Fans of the Sussexes rallied around the prince and sent their congratulations to ‘soldier Harry’ who completed two tours in Afghanistan.
The event was set up in 2003 to honour those who make significant contributions to aviation and aerospace.
People still ‘living’ are recorded on the list and replace past inductees who have died, such as Neil Armstrong.
The Duke completed two tours of Afghanistan as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot, having flown countless training missions in the UK, US and .
He served for 10 years in the military, rising to the rank of Captain.
Buzz Aldrin is current ‘legend’ on the roll with Neil Armstrong (left) a past inductee. (Pictured with Michael Collins who was the third member of the Apollo 11 lunar landing astronauts)
Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to step onto the surface of the moon in July 1969
Harry will take his place alongside other aviation and aerospace ‘legends’ including Aldrin, Jeff Bezos, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Elon Musk and Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud.
Other aerospace icons set to be inducted 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 organisations including Travalyst, Sentebale, African Parks, WellChild and the Invictus Games.
A statement on the event’s website said: ‘Prince Harry is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist.
‘He has dedicated his life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that bring about permanent change for people and places.’
The event’s website also highlights Harry’s efforts as a ‘humanitarian, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist’, touching on 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 decade in total, rising 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 display their confusion about the Duke’s inclusion on the list, while fans of the Sussexes rallied around the prince
The decorated event – which will be hosted by John Travolta in Beverley Hills, California next Friday – will see the royal inducted alongside other aerospace 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 position was his ‘calling’.
‘My military career saved me in many regards,’ he told host Anderson Cooper. ‘It got me out of the spotlight from the UK 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 ‘remarkable people of extraordinary accomplishment in aviation’ – and the ‘Legends’ meet annually to honour new industry leaders.