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Prince Harry to appear on ‘Thomas and Friends’ anniversary special

‘Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine’ celebrates 75 years of Thomas the Tank Engine and features Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II as animated characters

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Britain’s Prince Harry reacts as he greets crowds in Windsor, near London, England, Friday, May 18, 2018. The English royal is set to star in a special to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Britain’s Prince Harry reacts as he greets crowds in Windsor, near London, England, Friday, May 18, 2018. The English royal is set to star in a special to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Frank Augstein, AP

To celebrate 75 years of Thomas the Tank Engine, Prince Harry will be introducing a special royalty-themed episode of “Thomas and Friends.”

Called “Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine,” the 22-minute episode comes to Netflix May 1 and takes place when Prince Harry was a boy, according to CNN. The episode features animations of his father, Prince Charles, and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince Harry recorded his introduction in January — before he and his wife, Meghan Markle, left England and moved to the United States, according to Variety.

Rosamund Pike joins the cast as the Duchess of Loughborough — the train tasked with the important duty of transporting the royal family, Newsweek reports.

In a statement, the Duke of Sussex said he has “fond memories of growing up with ‘Thomas and Friends’ and being transported to new places through his adventures,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. Pictures of Prince Harry playing with Thomas the Tank Engine toys can be found dating back to 1987.

Rev. Wilbert Awdry’s “Railroad Series” began 75 years ago, but Thomas the Tank Engine’s debut came a little bit later in 1946, according to Fox News. In the 1980s, Thomas got his own stop-motion animation series that changed over to CGI in 2009.