Prince Harry kept his promise to skydive alongside 102-year-old veteran Ed Marshall, then called his concerned wife, Meghan Markle, to confirm that he had landed safely.
The Duke of Sussex made the jump in Toronto on Friday to raise awareness and funds for two Canadian military charities, the True Love Patriot Foundation and Sunnybrook. The event also helped promote the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham in 2027.
Harry met Marshall, a World War II veteran, last year. Marshall told him that he had celebrated his 100th birthday by skydiving. Inspired by the veteran’s courage, Harry promised to join him on a jump when he returned to Toronto.
“I’m not in the business of letting people down, but you cannot let a 102-year-old veteran down,” Harry said. He also spoke warmly about Canada, explaining, “I love Canada. My wife lived here for seven years; most people thought that she was Canadian. Look, Canada has a very special, a special place in my heart.”
Speaking to CTV, Harry said Markle did not need convincing, but was “very relieved once we were down.”
“It took a while to get up, so I think she was like, ‘Are they down yet? Are they down yet?’” he said.
MORE STORY: Drones Spotted Over Military and Nuclear Sites Three Times a Week
After landing safely, the Duke also kissed the ground.
The couple made headlines last month after moving back to the UK with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, following several years in Montecito, California.
“It’s been great to be back on British soil,” Harry said, adding that “the kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to really focus on Invictus in Birmingham.”
Harry remained guarded when asked why the family had returned, telling the reporter that the move was prompted by “lots of reasons.”
The children were initially enrolled at a UK preparatory school, but travel and security concerns led the family to withdraw them after just two days and enroll them at another school.
Earlier the previous week, Harry made a brief trip to New York to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative.
The couple has offered few details about the sudden relocation. They famously left the UK in 2020 after Prince Archie’s birth and stepped down as working members of the royal family.