Tonight the BBC celebrates iconic British conservationist David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. The first 20 mins were, as you might expect, a look back at David’s incredible life, with some live music thrown in, when all of a sudden a surprise guest appeared on screen.
Audiences were then transported to Balmoral Castle, where King Charles was sat penning his own tribute to David. Reading the contents, the King said: ‘It is amazing to think that you and I have known one another for more than 60 years; indeed, I believe we first met in 1958, almost a decade before the age of colour television, and of course our paths have crossed many times since.
‘Over those decades you have revealed the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world in new and marvellous ways. In so doing, you have shared my determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve this precious planet of ours – and all Life on Earth – for future generations.
(Image credit: BBC Studios Natural History Unit/Buckingham Palace)
To start, a border collie named Flynn leaps from the car with the envelope in his mouth, before passing it on to a bird overhead, and then a plethora of other animals found everywhere from the Scottish Highlands to passing the Angel of the North and towns and waterways across the UK. The final journey to David’s London home is made by a barn owl called Lily, who in a very Potter-esque way, delivers it safely through the letterbox.
A spokesperson at Buckingham Palace said: ‘His majesty was delighted to feature in this special tribute to a man who has shared his lifetime commitment to the natural world, and has followed each stage of the filming process with great interest. He was only sorry not to meet Lily the magical barn owl in person.’
The four-minute film is hugely emotive, which was clear among the live audience during the BBC’s David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth broadcast this evening (8 May). A very fitting tribute to an extraordinary broadcaster.
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