Prince Harry jumped out of a plane over Ontario on Friday and called Meghan Markle almost immediately after returning safely to the ground.
The Duke of Sussex completed the Sept. 25 charity skydive after making a promise to 102-year-old World War II veteran Ed Marshall, whom he met during a visit to Toronto’s Sunnybrook Veterans Centre last November. Marshall had hoped to jump with Harry himself, but a medical evaluation ultimately ruled him out, leaving his grandson Bailey to take his place.
Harry kept the promise anyway. After landing, he told CTV News there was “no version” in which he could disappoint a 102-year-old veteran. Meghan had been following the adventure as well, and Harry said she was relieved when he called after the group landed.
The jump raised support for two Canadian organizations serving military members, veterans and their families. Harry also used his post-jump interview to discuss Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s new school life in Britain and his preparations for the next Invictus Games.
Harry Says There Was ‘No Version’ Where He Could Let Ed Down
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Harry first met Marshall at Sunnybrook’s veterans center in Toronto in November 2025. The Sunnybrook Foundation says the two bonded over their military backgrounds and continued work with veteran communities. Marshall trained as a paratrooper during World War II, while Harry spent 10 years in the British Army and completed two deployments to Afghanistan.
Marshall had celebrated his 100th birthday in July 2024 by completing a tandem skydive and raising money for Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. The Canadian Airborne Forces Association says he raised roughly $105,000 and became the oldest Canadian to complete a tandem skydive.
After hearing about Marshall’s jump, Harry agreed to take part in another one with him. Speaking after fulfilling that promise, Harry told CTV that Marshall had been eagerly awaiting the day. “There’s no version where you can let a 102-year-old veteran down,” he said.
Marshall Wasn’t Cleared to Jump, So His Grandson Took His Place
Marshall’s doctors ultimately decided another skydive was not safe for him. He previously told USA Today that medical testing had revealed reduced heart function, ending his hope of making the descent with Harry.
Bailey stepped in for his grandfather, but Marshall still joined them aboard the aircraft. Harry told PEOPLE that Marshall was “devastated” he could not participate and joked that the veteran was fitted with a parachute anyway, briefly raising the possibility that he might decide to jump on his own.
Bailey had never skydived before. After landing, he told Harry that it was difficult to imagine someone with the Duke’s schedule taking the time to honor his grandfather’s service and described the experience as “surreal.”
Harry Called Meghan As Soon As He Landed
Prince Harry’s CTV interview after jumping out of a plane! Donate today to support this special jump and benefit Sunnybrook and the True Patriot Love Foundation. https://t.co/F9HLVy2vRx pic.twitter.com/t3dHwcZzjU
— Sayid 🃏 (@SayidMet) September 25, 2026
CTV noticed Harry making a phone call almost immediately after he returned to the ground. When the interviewer asked whether he had needed to persuade Meghan that skydiving was a reasonable idea for a father of two, Harry said she had not tried to stop him.
“I didn’t have to convince her, but she was relieved once we were down,” Harry said. He added that the group had taken longer than expected to get into the air and imagined Meghan repeatedly wondering, “Are they down yet? Are they down yet?”
Us Weekly reports that Meghan was the person Harry called immediately after completing the jump. Harry also joked that he had been blaming Marshall for getting him into the situation, saying the veteran had proved too persuasive for him to back out.
Marshall’s Own Jump at 100 Raised More Than $100,000
Marshall’s 2024 jump was his first trip out of an aircraft in nearly eight decades. The Canadian Airborne Forces Association says his wartime training with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion involved lower-altitude military jumps, leaving him curious about the longer free fall of a modern recreational skydive.
Marshall made the tandem jump over Cayuga, Ontario, with Canadian Armed Forces veteran and instructor Adam Winnicki, exiting the aircraft at roughly 11,000 feet. He set a goal of raising $100,000 for SickKids, or $1,000 for every year of his life, and ultimately surpassed it.
The Skydive Supported Two Canadian Military Organizations
Harry’s jump raised support for Sunnybrook and the True Patriot Love Foundation. Sunnybrook began as a military hospital after World War II and continues to provide specialized care for Canadian veterans.
True Patriot Love supports Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and their families through programs addressing areas including recovery, well-being and family support. The organization also has ties to Harry’s Invictus work. Sunnybrook says True Patriot Love helped bring the Invictus Games to Toronto in 2017 and supported the 2025 Games in Vancouver and Whistler.
Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans and remains patron of the Invictus Games Foundation.
Harry Also Gave an Update on Archie and Lilibet
Harry’s post-jump conversation with CTV also turned to his family’s new routine in Britain. Asked how things were going after the move, he said being back had been “great” before joking that, after the skydive, he was particularly happy to be on “terra firma.”
“The kids are happy in school,” Harry said of Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5. He added that being based in Britain gives him more opportunity to concentrate on preparations for the Invictus Games in Birmingham next July.
The skydive came during a busy week for Harry. Two days earlier, he appeared at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York before traveling to Canada to fulfill his promise to Marshall.