Prince Harry introduces upcoming ‘Thomas and Friends’ episode marking books’ 75th anniversary

LONDON — Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are getting the royal treatment in honor of the 75th anniversary of “The Railway Series.”

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According to The Associated Press and Reuters, Britain’s Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, recorded an introduction earlier this year for a special “Thomas and Friends” episode, which will be available Friday on Netflix in the United States. The program, titled “Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine,” also will air Saturday in the United Kingdom before rolling out to Australia and Canada in the coming weeks.

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In the introduction, which was filmed in January, Harry briefly talks about the origins of the Rev. Wilbert Awdry’s “The Railway Series” books, which debuted in 1945. The books later spawned various TV series, including the most recent iteration, “Thomas and Friends,” according to the AP.

“It all began when a young boy lay ill in bed,” Harry says in the introduction, referring to Awdry’s son, Christopher. “His loving father entertained him with stories of a special railway on the magical island of Sodor. Those stories would go on to become the tales of the most iconic tank engine the world has ever known, Thomas the Tank Engine.”

The anniversary episode tells a story involving Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his father, Prince Charles, the AP reported.

Harry, who was a fan of Thomas as a boy, recently stepped down as a senior royal along with his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. They now live in California, according to the AP.

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