Prince Harry humbled to be honored at the Living Legends of Aviation on Friday

One of the wildest conspiracy theories has cropped up in the past 24 hours: that the Princess of Wales and King Charles’s dual hospitalization announcements were made in relation to Prince Harry receiving the Living Legend of Aviation Award on Friday. While it’s true that there are an awful lot of coincidences when it comes to “good things happening for the Sussexes, and then suddenly someone in the Windsor family falls ill,” it’s truly bonkers to think that Kate would invent a whole-ass months-long medical drama to thwart Harry’s aviation award. Now, King Charles’s advance announcement might have had something to do with it, but what do I know. In any case, there’s now a conversation about “will Harry pull out of the awards show??” A deranger fantasy. The Mirror spoke to “sources” connected to the Living Legends of Aviation and they insist that Harry felt very honored to be named by their organization and he will show up to the event.

Princess Diana’s dance partner, John Travolta, was the driving force behind her son Prince Harry being named a “living legend” and inducted into an aviation Hall of Fame. The Hollywood icon, 69, was one of the “biggest supporters” for the Duke Of Sussex being honoured at Friday’s event during the selection process among existing honourees and committee members. Insiders at the Living Legends of Aviation insist that “humbled” Harry, 39, was not just selected for his “military service” but also for his global work promoting ex-servicemen with The Invictus Games, mental health advocacy for military personnel and global philanthropy.

Travolta, who hosts the private gala, maintains a “strong emotional link and connection” to Harry through his friendship with his mother Princess Diana. The announcement that duke is set to receive the award was met with a fierce backlash by former military personnel and social media users. The former head of the Royal Navy, Lord Alan West, described the gong as a “pathetic” publicity stunt. He said: “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.”

However, award insiders insist “the negativity will not get our attention.” The organisation states, “inductees are nominated and selected by current Living Legends, who then are part of future selection processes.”

A source connected to the event told the Mirror: “Prince Harry’s honour recognises so much of his entire life, not just his time flying helicopters and serving in the army. Our award is a celebration of aviators, but also life-changing human beings connected to our world. Harry’s name was put forward because of his astonishing commitment to helping those in and out of the military, promoting awareness of the triumphs and travails of that life. But he stands tall as a philanthropist. Any suggestion of this as a publicity stunt is a disgraceful and offensive suggestion.”

“Of course, John was an advocate for Harry and supported his nomination. He has always felt a connection to him, especially because he and Diana enjoyed that moment of pop culture history by dancing at the White House. It was a highlight of his amazing life, and the pair had a bond. It was just a year after Harry was born, and the pair both felt their moment was a ‘fairytale.’

“John has felt that her sons have continued her legacy and drive for charity. So, Harry having this platform to celebrate his achievements means so much to him. John and Harry uniting will be another memorable night.”

A separate source revealed that “humbled” Harry asked to have his honour bestowed on the same night as others at the annual event held at the Beverly Hilton. “Obviously, with the nature of his status, a suggestion was for a separate event. Harry insisted he wanted to join aviators and supporters of our event.”

[From The Daily Mirror]

I believe that about John Travolta, and I completely believe Travolta is a big supporter and he was arguing for Harry to be honored. As for the award – the whole “backlash” has been utterly ridiculous. If anyone had simply looked through the list of previous honorees, they would have seen that the “living legend” designation goes beyond “a legendary aviation career.” They choose legendary pilots, of course, but many of the honorees are hobbyist pilots who have done amazing things separately from or adjacent to aviation. Angelina Jolie, a hobbyist pilot who directed amazing aerial scenes in Unbroken, received the organization’s Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award after Unbroken was released. It was abundantly clear, much to the British media’s chagrin, that Harry is receiving this award for his body of work, not just his military career, but his humanitarian work and his work with Invictus.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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