- Prince Harry reflects on his first flight experience during his induction into the Living Legends of Aviation, joking about his father’s terrifying presence at the controls.
- Prince Harry’s background as a helicopter pilot, following in his father’s footsteps, earns him the honor at the aviation event.
- Ongoing tension between Prince Harry and the royal family is highlighted in a new book, with claims of the Queen’s anger over the naming of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lilibet. Palace support for their version of events was reportedly rebuffed.
Additional Coverage:
- Prince Harry Pokes Fun at His Father King Charles III at Aviation Event Amid Rumored Family Rift (newsbreak.com)
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation on Friday and took a moment to reflect on his first flight ever. During his acceptance speech, Prince Harry, 39, jokingly mentioned his father, King Charles III, 75, who was recently revealed to be having surgery for an enlarged prostate. Prince Harry talked about his first flight experience as a child, where his father jumped in behind the controls, leaving him terrified. The audience erupted in laughter at his anecdote, as seen in a video posted on Twitter.
King Charles has a significant background in aviation, having trained as a jet pilot in the Royal Airforce in the 1970s. Prince Harry followed in his father’s footsteps by serving as a helicopter pilot in the British Army for 10 years, which led to his honor at the award ceremony. In addition to discussing his father, Prince Harry also mentioned his late mother, Princess Diana, and how she once danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985. He shared this memory with John during the ceremony.
Prince Harry’s appearance at the aviation event comes amidst ongoing rumors of tension between him and the royal family following the release of his memoir, titled “Spare.” The book explores his experiences within the royal family and has caused controversy, particularly regarding his claim that Queen Elizabeth II had given her approval for him and Meghan Markle to name their daughter Lilibet after her. A new biography titled “Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story” by royal journalist Robert Hardman sheds light on the alleged anger the Queen felt over this claim, as well as the couple’s unsuccessful attempt to gain public support from Buckingham Palace.
According to the book, an anonymous palace staff member recalled Queen Elizabeth II being “as angry as I’d ever seen her” upon hearing the announcement regarding Lilibet’s name. The book also mentions that the couple threatened legal action against anyone who disputed their claim, but their attempts to involve the Palace in supporting their version of events were rebuffed. The BBC was among those who reported that the Queen had not been consulted about the name choice, leading to a brief legal dispute with Harry and Meghan.
Neither Prince Harry nor Meghan Markle have publicly commented on the claims made in the book.