Prince Harry will receive the Living Legend of Aviation Award on Friday, the 19th. No one has confirmed whether he’ll show up in person to the ceremony, but I suspect he will. When the news came out last week, I honestly thought “well, that’s nice, but it’s probably not the most serious award ever.” I looked up the site and how it’s organized and I came away somewhat impressed, but I still say that this isn’t, like, the Nobel Prize of Aviation or anything like that. It’s basically like “hey, you’re a pilot or you have something to do with aviation AND you’re really cool, so here’s an award.”
It has been shocking to watch the meltdown though – the British media and the royalist derangers are treating this award like it’s everything all at once: a sham award; an important award for which Harry is unworthy; something anyone could get if they paid for it; something they should give to every pilot; something which Prince William should have gotten. I still say that this award basically blew up the British media’s January talking point of “the Sussexes are desperate, broke and unpopular” and that’s why everyone seems to be freaking out. Speaking of:
Prince Harry’s Living Legends of Aviation Award comes across as ‘needy’, Richard Eden has told Palace Confidential. Speaking on the Mail+’s weekly talk show, the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor said it’s unclear why the Duke of Sussex, 39, is being honoured at this year’s 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Beverley Hills.
‘Frankly, I think it’s a bit needy. Perhaps the organisers of these award ceremonies know that they will turn up if they give them an award, but there’s something slightly pathetic,’ Mr Eden said.
In conversation with the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor at Large Richard Kay and show host Jo Elvin, Mr Eden added that he did a ‘double take’ when he heard the news of Harry’s award.
While Harry ‘knows how to fly a helicopter’, for Mr Eden, it’s ‘not clear why he’s being given this award’ at this time.
Prince Harry undertook two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot. His work as a British Army veteran and pilot is set to be honoured at this year’s 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards. The decorated event – which will be hosted by John Travolta in Beverly Hills, California next Friday – will see the royal inducted alongside other aerospace icons including Fred George and Steve Hinton.
It is understood that his work with setting up the Invictus Games Foundation will also be celebrated, according to the awards’ website. It is not clear whether Harry, or his wife Meghan Markle, 42, will attend the ceremony.
For Richard, the award is just the latest in a long list for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He joked: ‘The one great thing about Harry and Meghan moving to California is that they seem to be garlanded with awards, and every now and then, there’s another one.’
“Frankly, I think it’s a bit needy. Perhaps the organisers of these award ceremonies know that they will turn up if they give them an award, but there’s something slightly pathetic.” Is it more or less needy and pathetic than a prince who sets up his own awards scheme, refuses to invite the nominees and instead blows through millions of dollars to hang out with celebrities and inflate his own ego? Honestly, Harry should get more awards for what he did with Invictus. The fact that Harry’s CV includes stuff like “founder of Sentebale, Invictus and Travalyst,” board of directors of African Parks, chief impact officer of BetterUp AND bestselling author… give him more awards.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
Prince Harry with the Mayor of Dusseldorf Dr Stephan Keller, arrives at Dusseldorf town hall to sign the official guest book of Dusseldorf ahead of the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. Featuring: Prince Harry Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 09 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Prince Harry with the Mayor of Dusseldorf Dr Stephan Keller, arrives at Dusseldorf town hall to sign the official guest book of Dusseldorf ahead of the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. Featuring: Prince Harry Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 09 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Prince Harry speaking during the Invictus Games opening ceremony at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. Featuring: Prince Harry Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 09 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Prince Harry speaking during the Invictus Games opening ceremony at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. Featuring: Prince Harry Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 09 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during day 2 of Invictus Games 2023 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 11 Sep 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE** 
Closing ceremony of the Invictus Games. Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 16 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Closing ceremony of the Invictus Games. Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 16 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Closing ceremony of the Invictus Games. Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 16 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Closing ceremony of the 2023 Invictus Games at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 16 Sep 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcW1ibYN1e8SdnKeXoKe2r6%2FEmJ%2BaqqKuwKC4yK%2Bgp5%2BPobKosc2dlqiej5bDqq3Toqanl5GsrrOwvqKqmKiRqbWmwMiclqedlZnGcA%3D%3D