Prince Harry shocks passengers on commercial flight for Tokyo's Rugby World Cup

Royal fans traveling between Tokyo and England for the 2019 Rugby World Cup got the surprise of a lifetime recently when rugby lover Prince Harry stepped onto the plane.

The 35-year-old royal was in town for the championships held between South Africa and England and reportedly flew to and Heathrow in the economy section of a Nippon Airways flight.

"Sitting across from Prince Harry on our flight to Tokyo... and I can confirm he is a beaut. Nearly fell off my seat when he came on board," wrote Irish fan Victoria Secret about spotting the duke. Footage captured by The Daily Mail shows the father-of-one on the plane on the way to Toyko.

Harry took to Instagram this weekend after the championships to commend England's team for their effort, despite their loss. "Tonight was not England's night, the duke wrote. 'But the whole nation is incredibly proud of what @EnglandRugby have achieved over the past few months. Hold your heads high boys, you did an outstanding job and we couldn't have asked more from you."

The duke's spotting on the commercial flight comes months after Harry and Meghan were criticized for their use of private planes to Nice and Ibiza over the summer. Elton John, who had hosted the royals at his Nice home, tweeted in defense of Harry and Meghan following the criticism.

The singer wrote:

"After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, [my husband] David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight," he went on. "To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™."