The royal joined 'The One Show' on BBC via Zoom to help reunite two sets of veterans and their families.
He may have officially stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, but Prince Harry made a surprise appearance on British television on Monday evening -- and showed his fun nature with a good-humored quip about kissing.
The 35-year-old royal joined The One Show on BBC via video to help reunite two sets of veterans and their families.
The move was part of the show’s coverage of VE Day, which marks the day WWII ended in Europe in 1945.
Harry chose to highlight the Guinea Pig Club (named in honor of the experimental treatments undergone by the wartime burn victims it helped) and its modern-day equivalent, the CASEVAC Club, which also helps veterans overcome injuries.
Harry jumped on a Zoom call on May 5 with Maggie Wilson, the widow of former GPC member Sandy Saunders, and Andy Perry, the son of former GPC member Jack Perry. CASEVAC Club members and veterans David Wiseman and Dave Henson were also on the conference call.
During their conversation, Wilson recalled how Saunders, who suffered severe facial burns from crashing his Tiger Moth plane during the war, had undergone treatment by reconstructive surgeon Archibald McIndoe. She shared that the doctor had told Saunders, "'You need new upper eyelids, new lower eyelids. You need a proper nose, I'll give you a mouth, so you can kiss the girls!' That's what happened."
“That's unbelievable,” Harry responded. “So when you met him, can I ask, he had a proper nose and good lips for kissing?"
"Oh, definitely good lips for kissing," Wilson replied, to which Harry enthused, “I love that.”
"It's so important to remember the Guinea Pig Club and to look forward to everything that the CASEVAC Club is going to achieve as well,” Harry also said during the call. “Those individuals that signed up, chose to serve then had life-changing injuries -- they didn’t stop there and that’s why it’s incredibly impressive. But at the same time, so incredibly uplifting.”
Over the weekend, Harry shared another video message, to mark what would have been the launch of the 2020 Invictus Games. The games, in which wounded or ill armed services personnel compete in sporting events, were canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We should have also been gathering together in the Netherlands to kickstart the Invictus Games 2020 in The Hague," Harry said. "Life has changed dramatically for all of us since I was last in The Hague."
"I hope all those in the Invictus family are coping well and supporting each other through this challenging time," he added. "I continue to hear amazing stories of families coming together in online platforms, but please look out for those that have gone quiet or that are no longer visible on the chat sites. You guys are the best of us, so I have no doubt that you're all running around and supporting each other."
See more on Harry below.
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