‘Prince Harry is NOT a Living Legend of Aviation’: Ex-Royal Navy chief slams ‘pathetic publicity stunt’ after Duke beats British astronaut Tim Peake to win aviation award – as top colonel says royal wasn’t even at the controls of Afghanistan helicopter
A defence chief has hit out after Prince Harry beat history-making British astronaut Tim Peake to be named a ‘Legend of Aviation’ for his work flying an Army helicopter in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been recognised for the gong ahead of fellow veteran Apache gunship pilot-turned-astronaut Peake, 51, who in 2016 became the first British astronaut to walk in space during a trip to International Space Station.
Harry will be inducted next Friday at a glitzy awards ceremony hosted by actor and aviation ambassador John Travolta in Beverly Hills, California and where VIP tables can cost £30,000.
The Duke bagged the award despite only ever being ‘number two’ in his helicopter, acting as a gunner in Afghanistan – with his gong success today branded a ‘pathetic’ publicity stunt by Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy.
Reacting to Harry’s accolade, the Cold War naval commander told MailOnline: ‘He is not a living legend of aviation. To suggest he is, is pathetic. It makes the whole thing seem a bit of a nonsense if they’re willing to pick someone like Prince Harry.
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
Tim Peake served 17 years in the British military before becoming an astronaut and spending six months on the International Space Station
Admiral Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy said he was outraged the Duke of Sussex had been recognised over the likes of Peake, 51
‘He is not a living legend. There are lots of people who deserve to be called this but not Prince Harry. I find it extraordinary he has been picked.
‘He didn’t carry off any great exciting feat of amazing flying skill while flying for the Army.
‘They’re just trying to get publicity. They know it will cause a stir. I find the whole thing really rather pathetic.’
Retired British Army Colonel Richard Kemp also lashed out, claiming the awards were about ‘celebrities massaging each other’s egos’.
‘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.’ he told The Sun.
He added: ‘It is obviously because of who he is – not what he did. An Apache is crewed by two people – a pilot and a gunner. Harry was a gunner. He was number two in the aircraft.’
The decorated event has been previously been dubbed by actor Morgan Freeman – who has also been hailed a ‘living legend – as the Oscars of aviation.
Harry will be joining a host of famous faces, including Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin, Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, who are both qualified pilots, and billionaires Elon Musk and Jeffrey Bezos, who own their own space businesses.
Former ‘living legends’ are involved in nominating and selecting the next generation of inductees, with the likes of Travolta, Bezos, Ford, Freeman and Musk among the high-profile stars who would have been able to have a say in the move.
Lauren Sanchez, the 53-year-old fiancé of Amazon founder Bezos, is also set to receive an accolade at next week’s gongs, being presented with the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award, highlighting her work in business and as a helicopter pilot.
Top Gun star Tom Cruise is among the ‘Living Legends’ to have been inducted at the awards do
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
It is understood the Duke’s 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.
Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, the organisation behind Harry’s new gong, is a non-profit seeking to spark an interest in aviation with children and young people.
Former RAF Tornado G4 fighter pilot Tim Davies said he could understand why the organisation behind the accolade would want someone with Prince Harry’s celebrity clout on board.
But the retired Squadron Leader told MailOnline: ‘That said, there were surely many more obvious candidates for the award such as the Apache crew who, under heavy enemy fire, strapped four Royal Marines to their aircraft and flew in to retrieve Lance Corporal Mathew Ford’s body after he had been killed by enemy fire – but if [Harry’s] award can inspire young kids to fly, then I’m all for it.’
However, the Prince’s nomination raised eyebrows on social media.
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 Australia.
He served for 10 years in the military, rising to the rank of Captain.
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.
During his second tour in Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013. Pictured in 2012
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
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
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’.
During the second tour of Afghanistan, he spent four months as an Apache helicopter pilot – from September 2012 to January 2013.
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.
