Prince Harry Surprises on Tonight Show, Joins Jimmy Fallon for Haunted Maze Experience

The Duke of Sussex capped off a whirlwind New York City trip by getting into spooky season on Sept. 26

Rachel Burchfield serves as digital editor, royals at PEOPLE. She has worked at PEOPLE since August 2024, and her work has previously appeared in Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.

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Prince Harry - THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode TBD -- Pictured: (l-r) on Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Jimmy Fallon (left) and Prince Harry on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’. Photo: Todd Owyoung/NBC

Prince Harry’s whirlwind trip to New York City wasn’t all work and no play.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Duke of Sussex, 40, will appear as a surprise guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — but didn’t take part in a typical interview with the late night talk show host.

Instead, the two ventured through a haunted maze at Rockefeller Center created by Fallon called Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares, which Fallon announced Aug. 15. “Brace yourself for 10 spine-chilling rooms that bring Jimmy’s worst nightmares to life with sinister characters and scares around every corner,” according to The Tonight Show’s YouTube page. “Enter if you dare!”

In the frightful moment, Harry and Fallon watched an eerie video of Fallon holding a pup. Although Harry first tells Fallon, “You look great,” to which a flattered Fallon responds, “Thank you,” on-screen Fallon’s eyes quickly shift as a static noise is heard, leaving Harry alarmed.

Prince Harry - THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode TBD -- Pictured: (l-r) on Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Jimmy Fallon (left) and Prince Harry on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Todd Owyoung/NBC

Shadows of a zombie-like creature then appears on the other side of a door, and Harry’s bodycam that’s attached to his chest catches his candid and surprised reaction. The zombie then bursts through the door and startles Harry, who hilariously grabs Fallon’s chest.

“That actually got me,” Fallon says.

The duo then get scared by a wolverine before running into a scary band. The musicians hilariously break character as they realize it was actually Harry who they just scared. The video ends with one of the spooky band members fanning herself in awe.

Prince Harry Talks Reincarnation — and What Animal He Wants to Come Back As

Harry’s appearance on Fallon’s show isn’t his first time on the talk show circuit. While promoting his memoir, Spare, in January 2023, Harry appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he answered the host’s 15-question Colbert Questionert.

“What do you think happens when we die?” Colbert asked his guest. “I think we become animals,” Harry replied with a laugh. When pressed as to what animal he’d return as, Harry responded, “Probably an elephant.”

Colbert shifted the conversation to a more serious tone when he asked about Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. When Colbert inquired if Harry ever thinks about the advice she might have given him, the Duke of Sussex responded, “I’ve said quite a lot recently in different interviews that I’ve really felt the presence of my mom, especially in the last couple of years. And I detail in the book my brother and I talking at her grave and how he felt as though she had been with him for a long period of time and helped set him up with life and that he felt she was now moving over to me.”

“And I have felt her more in the last two years than I have in the last 30,” he added.

Prince Harry - THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode TBD -- Pictured: (l-r) on Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Prince Harry on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Todd Owyoung/NBC

In February 2021, Prince Harry appeared in a segment for The Late Late Show with James Corden, where the two rode around Los Angeles in an open-top double-decker bus. During the segment, the two also visited The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air house and even FaceTimed Harry’s wife Meghan Markle.

Prince Harry Swears, Raps and FaceTimes Meghan as He Joins James Corden on Double Decker Bus Ride

An Afternoon with Prince Harry & James Corden

Prince Harry appearing on ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ in February 2021. The Late Late Show with James Corden

Though Prince Harry capped off his visit to N.Y.C. with some fun — and some fright — with Fallon, it was jam-packed with work engagements for causes he supports, from The Diana Award (named in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana) to The HALO Trust, African Parks, the African country of Lesotho (where he spoke of his fondness for it at the United Nations) and Travalyst.

Harry’s first appearance in the city was on Sunday, Sept. 22, when he joined Queen Mathilde of Belgium for a dinner hosted by the World Health Organization that focused on violence against children and its impact on mental health.

From there, on Monday, Sept. 23, Harry’s calendar was full of engagements, from The Diana Award to The HALO Trust and African Parks. Harry joined The Diana Award CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo and two award recipients, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang of Indonesia and Christina Williams of Jamaica, at the annual Concordia Summit. (Harry even shared a sweet FaceTime with wife Meghan, 43, and kids Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, before the event!)

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit on September 23, 2024 in New York City.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit on Sept. 23, 2024 in New York City.John Nacion/Getty

“I’ve said it years ago, and I’ll say it again — the younger generation are, not putting too much pressure on you guys, you are what give me hope,” Harry told Zhang and Williams on stage. “The courage that you have gives me hope, because every single one of us need courage in order to really move the dial and create positive change in today’s world, probably more so now than ever.”

He added, “I know that my mom would be incredibly proud of you guys — not just you, but all of the award winners.”

Later on Sept. 23, Harry gave remarks at an event supporting The HALO Trust, an organization that Diana was also closely associated with during her lifetime. The humanitarian group is at work in over 30 countries and territories around the world to clear landmines and debris of war — and garnered international attention when the late Princess of Wales walked through an active landmine in Huambo, Angola in 1997 to call for an international ban, not long before her death at age 36 on Aug. 31, 1997.

“As you know, The HALO Trust work in Angola meant a great deal to my mother,” Harry said during his remarks at the Sept. 23 event. “Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Outgoing Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pictured during a high-level dinner on 'Violence against children and its impact on mental health' organized by WHO in New York City, United States of America, Sunday 22 September 2024.

Prince Harry and Outgoing Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pictured during a high-level dinner on ‘Violence against children and its impact on mental health’ organized by WHO in New York City on Sept. 22, 2024.Shutterstock

To round off the day, Prince Harry sat on a panel moderated by Katie Couric on behalf of African Parks, an organization the Duke of Sussex has been involved with since 2016.

The next day, Sept. 24, Harry delivered powerful remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting, speaking about the dangers of social media for children and sharing that the lock screen of his phone features a photo of his kids Archie and Lilibet.

From there, it was off to the UN, where Harry spoke warmly about Lesotho, a country he’s been connected to for 20 years since first visiting the nation in 2004. “The beautiful mountain kingdom feels like a home away from home,” he said in his remarks.

Finally, he celebrated the five-year anniversary of Travalyst, the environmental tourism initiative he founded in 2019.

“Together, Travalyst and its partners represent a combined market value of nearly $3 trillion,” he said. “This is a massive force for good, and we’re committed to using it to ensure that travel not only sustains communities, but helps them thrive.”

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attends the HALO Trust event celebrating Angola's leadership in landmine clearance in on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2024.

Prince Harry attends The HALO Trust event celebrating Angola’s leadership in landmine clearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 23, 2024.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty

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Prior to his trip, Harry’s spokesperson said his trip to New York City would “be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.” Meghan didn’t join Harry for this visit to the city.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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