Prince Harry is reflecting on his love for Canada and what he says is an “incredibly important” role that the country plays when it comes to “moral leadership in today’s world.” The Duke of Sussex made the comment in an exclusive interview with CTV News on Friday, shortly after parachuting from a plane north of Toronto to raise money for two veterans charities and make good on a promise he made to a 102-year-old former paratrooper last year. “I love every single thing about Canada and I think Canada plays an incredibly important part in moral leadership in today’s world and I’ll leave it at that,” he told Chief News Anchor Omar Sachedina when asked about the ongoing trade tensions with the U.S. and what message he had for Canadians. The Duke of Sussex’s trip to Canada on Friday has been in the works since last November when he first met with Second World War vet Ed Marshall at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto. It was then that the former paratrooper told Prince Harry about a fundraising skydive that he participated in to mark his 100th birthday in 2024, sharing photos from the occasion. Prince Harry promised Marshall at the time that he would return to the Toronto area to accompany him on another jump and on Friday he did exactly that. Marshall, who will turn 103 in a few months, was unable to make the dive himself amid some concerns expressed by his doctor but had his grandson take his place while he watched from the back of the plane. The skydiving trip raised funds for Sunnybrook Veterans Centre and the True Patriot Love Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports veterans and their families. “Ed has been really, really excited about this. I am not in the business of letting people down but you cannot let a 102-year-old veteran down,” Prince Harry said following the jump. “There was the medical evaluation he had and he was devastated he couldn’t jump. But it was great to have him in the back. They did put a parachute on him, we did think that he was probably going to jump by himself, glad he didn’t.” The Duke of Sussex was seen kissing the ground shortly after landing in an open field in Innisfil, Ontario and was on the phone with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, a short time later. He told CTV News that while he didn’t have to convince her about the trip “she was very relieved” once he was back on the ground. “I have just been blaming Ed anyway. I said ‘I don’t want to do it, I wish I could get out of it but Ed is very persuasive,’” he said. Marshall’s grandson - Bailey Fulen –said that his family didn’t take Prince Harry’s promise all that seriously at first and were surprised when his representatives reached out a few months back. “For a couple months my grandfather would say ‘I am going to do a jump with Prince Harry, it is going to be great’ and we would say ‘Grandpa, of course, of course it is going to happen’ and lo and behold your team reached out and we are just so happy that you did,” he said alongside Prince Harry following the jump. “You would never assume that somebody with your schedule would do something (like this). One to put yourself on the line and just to take the time and take interest….It’s been pretty surreal for our family.” The trip to Canada comes less than a month after news first surfaced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had decided to return to the United Kingdom after previously giving up their royal duties and moving to California. Prince Harry was asked about that move and what prompted it on Friday. He responded that he had “lots of reasons” but did not elaborate, noting that he did not want to distract from his efforts to raise money for Canadian veterans charities. “It’s been great. It’s been great to be back on British soil. The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to be able to really focus on the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year,” he said. Sachedina also asked Prince Harry about his connection to Canada and what keeps him coming back to the country. “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,” he said.
