The decision to name Prince Harry as a ‘Living Legend of Aviation’ has been met with consternation from British army personnel, who claim he served as a “number two” while in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex spent ten years serving with the military and completed two tours of Afghanistan as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot, as well as taking part in numerous flying training missions in the UK, US and Australia.
However, while critics have argued that his military record is admirable, he did not do enough to distinguish himself from any other serving pilot.
Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp told The Sun that the award amounts to just “celebrities massaging each other’s egos”, as he said: “He was a gunner in an Apache helicopter in Afghanistan but so were many, many other people.
“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.”
Royal commentator and author Robert Jobson also questioned why Harry was being honoured, as he told Express.co.uk: “I think the idea that Prince Harry is getting an award for being a living legend of aviation seems a bit daft.
“He’s hardly Chuck Yeager or Amelia Earhart, is he? It devalues the world legend. He fought very bravely in Afghanistan and served two tours of duty as a helicopter pilot.”
Harry will join astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong in the Aviation Hall of Fame, with the awards ceremony due to be held on January 19 hosted by John Travolta.
