Prince Harry Shares a Special Gift with World War II Veteran Ahead of His 100th Birthday

As the U.K. celebrates VE Day this week, Prince Harry is sending his own special thanks to a fellow military veteran.

Private Joseph Hammond, a World War II veteran from Ghana, was honored by the Duke of Sussex ahead of his 100th birthday on Saturday. Hammond shared in a May 7 post on X that he met ambassadors from the Invictus Games, which Harry founded, and received a related gift.

“It was a great honour to welcome the @WeAreInvictus team to Ghana, just ahead of my birthday this Saturday!” Hammond wrote. “I was honoured to receive the Invictus Medal Coin from #PrinceHarry.”

In return, Hammond said that he gifted Prince Harry with a copy of his memoir, “in recognition of his unwavering commitment to veterans’ welfare.”

Hammond first met Prince Harry in 2019 when the royal family hosted an event to honor veterans from the British Commonwealth. Hammond served as a mechanic in Myanmar — then known as Burma — during the Second World War, fighting alongside British troops.

“This man, especially, Prince Harry, I glued myself to him because he is also a soldier, he’s been to Afghanistan, and we spoke about the military, my battalion,” he said at the time. “We exchanged ideas. It was wonderful.” 

The following year, Hammond embarked on a grueling 14-mile walk to raise money for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later received a letter from Prince Harry praising his efforts. 

“Even at ’95 years young,’ I imagine it was not an easy task,” Harry wrote. “However, given the service and selflessness you have demonstrated throughout your life, it does not surprise me that you would take on a challenge such as this – and that you wanted to walk even more miles. As you said yourself, it is amazing!”

Harry also sent Hammond the “warmest wishes” from himself and his wife, Meghan Markle, noting that it was a privilege to have met his fellow veteran the year prior.

“It was an honour and a pleasure to meet you at the Field of Remembrance in London last year,” he said, adding that Hammond had set a “fine example to the world.”

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This week, the British royal family has attended several celebrations in honor of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marks the end of World War II.

On Monday, May 5, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and more working royals attended a military procession and aerial flypast to kick off the festivities.

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Prince George also marked the event with a royal first: attending a tea party for World War II veterans at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ eldest son follows his father as second in line to the throne. At the tea party, he similarly mirrored his dad’s role, sitting beside him just as he often does at public events (including Aston Villa soccer matches!) and joining both his parents in greeting and thanking the gathered veterans.

A palace insider previously spoke with PEOPLE about William and Kate’s approach to raising George as future king, calling it “a massive balancing act.”

“William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but he’s also dipping into duties as a future monarch,” the insider said. “He’s getting firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a royal and a monarch and firsthand experience of being a normal boy.”