Prince Harry Records Intro to Celebrate 75th Anniversary of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, recorded a special message to mark the 75th anniversary of one of the children's favorite cartoon, "Thomas the Tank Engine."

"Thomas the Tank Engine" is 75 years and is uniquely marking the special anniversary with the introduction of a new show titled "Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine."

The new program has a unique storyline featuring Prince Charles and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as animated characters, and was set when the former was a young boy.

In the story, Thomas the Tank Engine drives Sir Topham Hatt, the Railway Controller, to the Royal Palace, where he receives an honor. The royal touch to the episode didn't end there, as Prince Harry reads the introduction.

The special introduction was recorded in January before the Duke of Sussex's move overseas. In his warm statement, Harry revealed that he had fond memories of the cartoon series and also added:

"Thomas has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years – entertaining, educating, and inspiring children on important issues..."

Harry also said that he was very proud to have been part of the special episode of the show, and wished them a happy anniversary. The Prince sat in a chair at the Royal Palace to make the introduction.

There were also new characters added to the latest episode, with actress Rosamund Pike playing the role of the Duchess of Loughborough train engine, a train that Thomas met while on his way to London.

Meghan Markle debuted her first gig since the couple stepped down as senior members of Buckingham Palace.

The actress voiced her pleasure at being part of the special anniversary episode, saying that it was an absolute honor to have done so.

Pike also said that the responsibility of playing the Duchess of Loughborough was a big one and she described her character as a lovely, warm, bubbly, and kind of effervescent Engine. She was fascinated by the Engine's enthusiasm about getting things right.

Prince Harry's love for Thomas the Engine goes way back to 1987, when the Prince, then a little boy, was seen holding a Thomas-branded bag on his first day at Kindergarten.

Thomas the Engine's journey started in 1945 when Rev. Wilbert Awdry invented the character as a pacifying tale for his son, Christopher, who was suffering from measles. The special 75th-anniversary edition will be aired on Netflix, on May 1.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, also debuted her first gig since the couple stepped down from their roles as senior members of Buckingham Palace. She acted as the narrator in a "Disney+" nature documentary titled, "Elephant."

The Duchess recorded her voice-over for the documentary in October last year and was helped by her husband. Harry accompanied Meghan to the recording session, also giving her some useful tips along the way.