Prince Harry Reveals the First Thing He Did After His Daring Skydive

Prince Harry had barely returned to solid ground after a daring skydive in Canada when his thoughts turned to Meghan Markle.

The Duke of Sussex, 42, jumped from a plane outside Toronto on Friday in honour of 102-year-old Second World War veteran Ed Marshall, fulfilling a promise he had made when the pair met last year.

But once the high-adrenaline challenge was over, Harry’s first move was to call his wife.

During an interview with CTV, the Duke was asked about the call he made immediately after landing and whether he had needed to persuade Meghan to let him take part in the jump as a father of two.

“I didn’t have to convince her, but she was relieved once we were down,” Harry said.

He then joked that the long wait before the jump probably had Meghan wondering when he would finally be safely back on the ground.

“It took quite a while to get up, so I think she was like, ‘Are they down yet? Are they down yet?'” he said.

Harry also playfully blamed Ed for getting him into the situation in the first place.

“I’ve just been blaming Ed anyways,” he joked. “I said, ‘I can’t, I don’t want to do it, I wish I could get out of it,’ but Ed is very persuasive!”

Why Harry agreed to the skydive

Harry’s promise to Ed dated back to November 2025, when he met the veteran during a visit to the veterans centre at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.

The two bonded over their military backgrounds, and despite the obvious nerves involved in jumping from a plane, Harry said there was never really an option to disappoint Ed.

“Ed’s been really excited about this. There’s no version where you can let a 102-year-old veteran down,” Harry said after completing the jump.

Ed, a former paratrooper who trained during the Second World War, had originally hoped to make the jump alongside Harry. However, a medical evaluation meant he could not take part.

His grandson Bailey stepped in instead, completing the skydive with Harry while Ed joined them on the flight.

“He was devastated that he couldn’t jump, but it was great to have him in the back,” Harry explained.

The Duke also revealed that a parachute was placed on Ed, prompting some light-hearted speculation that the veteran might make the jump after all.

“We did think that he was probably going to jump by himself – glad he didn’t and he’s still here! And he’s going to be 103 in a few months’ time,” Harry said.

A special moment for Ed’s grandson

For Bailey, taking his grandfather’s place and jumping alongside Harry made the experience especially meaningful.

Speaking to the Duke, he described the opportunity as surreal for his family, particularly given Harry’s own military background and the time he had taken to learn about Ed’s service.

“You would never assume that somebody with your schedule would do something to put yourself on the line for one, and just to take the time to take interest in what he’s done and his service – and your service – has been surreal for our family,” Bailey told Harry.

He added that, as his grandfather had said, Harry came across simply as “a normal guy” to their family.

The skydive also served a charitable purpose, raising funds for Sunnybrook and the True Patriot Love Foundation, which supports Canada’s military community.

Harry and Meghan’s new family chapter

The skydive comes as Harry and Meghan begin a new chapter in the UK with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.

Speaking exclusively to HELLO! at the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards, Harry recently offered an update on how the family has been settling into life back in Britain.

“The last two weeks have been… it’s been eventful,” he said. “But, you know, we’re getting stuck into the work. Kids are in school. We’re happy.”

Harry also said he was pleased to be back on British soil and was already looking ahead to the Invictus Games in Birmingham next year.

The Duke founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to support wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women through sport. His latest challenge with Ed once again brought him into close contact with the military community that has remained central to his life.

And after completing a jump he had once hoped to avoid, Harry’s immediate call to Meghan offered a brief glimpse of what happened once the adrenaline finally gave way to relief.