Prince Harry has paid tribute to his mother Diana as he stepped out on Friday night in Los Angeles to be honoured as a ‘living legend of aviation’ for his time as a helicopter co-pilot and gunner in the Army.

The prince took to the stage at the Beverly Hills Hilton to receive his award from actor John Travolta, and took a moment to remember the Grease star’s meeting with Diana at a White House dinner for President Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Travolta, himself a pilot, was reportedly the driving force behind Harry receiving the award after feeling an affinity for the prince after dancing with Diana – though the prince’s nomination angered some military pilots who felt it was unearned.

He was in high spirits on Friday as he joined Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, a 46-year-old minor German royal and cousin of outgoing Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, and others at the Beverly Hills Hilton – and did not mention his sister in law Kate or dad Charles’ medical dramas.

Accepting the award from Travolta, the 39-year-old said: ‘I was just a one-year-old when you danced with my mum at the White House and now look at us.’

He was not accompanied by wife Meghan, who had been expected to attend; she was not present as one of their children became unwell, according to a report from the PA news agency.

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Prince Harry is seen at the gala on Friday night with Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe

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Prince Harry accepts his award as a Living Legend of Aviation at the glitzy awards ceremony in Los Angeles

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The award was presented by legendary actor – and famed private pilot – John Travolta (pictured), who reminisced about dancing with Harry’s mother Diana at the White House

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Travolta danced with Diana at a White House dinner in 1985 — when the princess was just 24 years old

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President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy can be seen looking on as Travolta dances with Diana during the chance encounter

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The prince is seen arriving for Friday’s event in Los Angeles

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The 39-year-old seemingly attended without his wife, Meghan Markle, for the awards ceremony

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Harry is pictured in March 2011 standing in front of an Apache Helicopter a few days after the royal passed the half-decade milestone to become a captain in the British Army

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Harry is seen in December 2012 working as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan

He added: ‘The only thing left to do is… not dance together but fly together.’

The Duke of Sussex 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, and later founded the Invictus Games – a sporting event for wounded military personnel and veterans.

On stage, Travolta asked him of his time flying for the Army: ‘What can you remember about your first flight?’

Harry quipped back: ‘It’s classified.’

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, who grabbed a photo with Harry at the awards, later called the moment between Harry and Travolta on-stage ‘very touching and sweet’.

‘John Travolta presented the award and he referred to the dance with his mother Princess Diana, (when) Prince Harry was one year old so he’s like, “Now I see you again under a new circumstance, on a new stage”,’ he said.

‘That was very touching and very sweet because we all remember how gorgeous the dance was of John Travolta and Princess Diana, and now Princess Diana’s son is getting an award from John Travolta. It was the cutest, most touching moment.’

In his speech, Harry went on to thank the Living Legends of Aviation awards for the ‘incredible honour’, adding that he is ‘proud to be recognised among such a dynamic and inspiring group of individuals’.

Harry takes his place alongside other aviation and aerospace ‘legends’ including Buzz Aldrin, Jeff Bezos, Tom Cruise, Neil Armstrong, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman and Elon Musk.

He continued: ‘For me, flying has been a transcendent experience. A close encounter with magic, an invitation to both protect freedom… and to feel free, and, funny enough, an opportunity to ground oneself, without actually being grounded.

‘I find my flight training — which was over the course of three years— to be one of life’s greatest lessons. It triggered a vast array of feelings.’

He did not allude to the medical dramas for his family on the other side of the Atlantic; Kate Middleton is part-way through a two-week stay in hospital after undergoing surgery, while King Charles is being treated for an enlarged prostate.

But Harry’s nomination has angered some top former British military officials.

Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, 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.

‘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.’

Retired officer Colonel Richard Kemp said that Harry was ‘a brave guy’ and his role in Afghanistan was ‘undoubtedly very dangerous’.

But he said that there are ‘helicopter pilots who have done much more extraordinary things in Iraq and Afghanistan, risking their lives to rescue their fellow soldiers.’

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Lauren Sanchez, who founded an aerial filming company in 2016, was also celebrated on Friday night

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Sanchez is a helicopter pilot and businesswoman: she joins her fiance Jeff Bezos among those now recognized for their contribution to aviation

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Miss California Teen USA Taliya Peiris (left) and Miss California USA Tianna Clark at the Living Legends of Aviation awards

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Film director Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the 2008 film adaptation Twilight, attended the awards

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NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello also attended the Living Legends of Aviation awards in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles

The Living Legends of Aviation website also praised the duke for his work with charities and organizations including Travalyst, Sentebale, African Parks and WellChild.

A statement on its 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.’

Harry was inducted alongside US navy pilot Fred George and former world speed record holder Steve Hinton, as well as Lauren Sanchez – a helicopter pilot who is engaged to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

She is set to receive the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award for her skills as a helicopter pilot and aviation businesswoman, having founded aerial filming company Black Ops Aviation in 2016.

The duke’s appearance comes as his father, the King, prepared to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate next week, while his sister-in-law the Princess of Wales recovers from abdominal surgery in the London Clinic.

Kate is not expected to resume public duties until well into the spring.