King Charles reflects on speech from over 50 years in new video

Kate Winslet, who introduced the clip and narrates the production, said: “At the time, public discussions about the environment were rare.

“So, when the 21-year-old prince gave one of his first-ever public speeches, many were shocked by what he had to say.”

The King, in an old black and white speech, said: “We are faced at the moment with the horrifying effects of pollution in all its cancerous forms. There is the growing menace of oil pollution at sea.

“There is chemical pollution, discharged into rivers from factories and chemical plants, which clogs up the rivers with toxic substances and adds to the filth in the seas.”

Charles smiled as he watched the clip, looking back on when he spoke about a matter that he still discusses often today.

He reflected: “Well, it was quite a long time ago, and I remember being, well, profoundly, you know, concerned about all this.

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“It seemed crazy to go on without thinking carefully about how we manage all this.”

The Royal Family captioned the post: “A speech ahead of its time,” ahead of the documentary’s release on February 6.

His Majesty has long been an advocate for the environment, and recently recollected at the premiere of his Prime Video documentary, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, that when he “shuffles off [his] mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness” to the issue.

The King has recently been praised for his approach to addressing climate change.

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Leonard Russell, the managing director and chairman of family-owned firm Ian Macleod Distillers, spoke with the King while they had some of his Rosebank Whisky’s 31-year-old Single Malt, which “was awarded the best whisky in the world”.

Mr Russell told GB News: “I know how supportive he is of supporting the environment.

“With sustainability and good quality architecture, but particularly supporting the rural city, because he spends a lot of time in Scotland at Balmoral during the summer.

“I know that he enjoys that walk around in the hills, and how he is genuinely concerned about nature.”

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The chairman of Ian Macleod Distillers hailed the King for being “ahead of his time” when it came to the environment, adding: “He is a great supporter of the countryside and sustainability and farming.”

Charles, who has been involved in whisky tasting before, took a liking to Mr Russell’s award-winning beverage.

Mr Russell explained: “The King was keen. He said: ‘What makes it the best whisky?’ Then he tried it, and he said: ‘Oh, it’s got notes of toffee.’

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet him. I wasn’t expecting it to happen, and I’m delighted it did.”