Prince Harry honors British war pilot with Christmas cards

Prince Harry is sending out Christmas cards featuring a picture of himself meeting a British World War II pilot to mark one of his most memorable moments of 2015.

In September (15), the British royal was due to take part in a flypast to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the conflict in which allied pilots fought off the German airforce in the skies over the south of England.

However, when one of the Spitfire aircraft due to be used in the event was grounded due to mechanical problems, Prince Harry offered his place in a plane to a veteran of the battle, Tom Neil, and two wounded servicemen instead.

The Prince has now chosen a photograph of himself clasping Tom's hand to adorn his festive correspondence.

"Prince Harry has chosen this photograph with Battle of Britain veteran Tom Neil for his Christmas card," a spokesperson for Kensington Palace tells Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"He considered it a great honor to meet Tom during the Battle of Britain flypast in September. It was one of his most memorable moments of 2015."

The flypast, which occurred on the Prince's 31st birthday on 15 September (15), was part of a range of events conducted over the past year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in aerial skirmishes in 1940.