King Charles features in surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough | David Attenborough
King Charles has featured in a surprise tribute to David Attenborough, with a group of wildlife helping to relay his handwritten centenary congratulations card.
The whimsical film, A Very Special Delivery, begins with the king writing his tribute in the library of Balmoral Castle. Charles, wearing an animal-themed tie depicting elephants, looks back on more than 60 years of friendship with the famous naturalist.
As he writes, Moley, Queen Camilla’s rescue dog, is walking around his office. The signed card is then carried on a silver tray by a butler to a waiting Land Rover. But disaster strikes. A fallen tree blocks the vehicle and what unfolds is a rescue mission by a call of heroic animals.
A border collie called Flynn takes off with the envelope in his mouth and a relay of birds and animals carry, carry and fly the card from the Scottish Highlands to the towns and waterways of Scotland and England. At one point, the map is carried stuck between the spines of a hedgehog.
Eagles, a red squirrel, a flock of geese, an otter, a swan, a duck, a fox and a deer all play their part before, finally, a barn owl called Lily returns the now tattered and travel-worn map to the letterbox at Attenborough’s London home.
The four-minute film, which premiered on Friday evening at the gala honoring the famous naturalist at the Royal Albert Hall, was produced by BBC Studio’s Natural History Unit.
The king’s relationship with Attenborough dates back to 1958, when the prince, then aged nine, and his sister, Princess Anne, visited the set of the BBC children’s show Zoo Quest.
In his card, Charles wrote: “It is amazing to think that you and I have known each other for over 60 years; indeed, I believe we first met in 1958, almost a decade before the era of color television, and of course our paths have crossed several times since.
“Over these decades, you have revealed the beauty and wonder of nature to audiences around the world in new and wonderful ways. In doing so, you have shared my determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve our precious planet – and all life on Earth – for future generations.
“So thank you for everything you have done. And on behalf of the entire nation, I wish you a very happy 100th birthday. Charles R.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Her Majesty was delighted to feature in this special tribute to a man who shared his lifelong commitment to the natural world and followed every step of the filming process with great interest. He was only sorry not to meet Lily, the magical barn owl, in person.
“His majesty [Camilla] was particularly touched that her mischievous Moley was invited to make an appearance and was on hand with a selection of dog treats to help coax a willing performance that day.
Mike Davis, executive producer of the BBC’s Natural History Studios, said making the film was a “labor of love”. “It needed a rich, varied and precise appeal, in terms of where the animals were at each stage of the journey, but there were also some much-loved British species we wanted to include, such as the eagle, the hedgehog or the fox.”
Charles also wanted to feature some of his favorites, like an owl and a red squirrel. “There was also the practical factor of whether they could reasonably carry a letter, which excluded some small animals from our long list,” Davis said.
As the filmmakers “were not constrained by the usual rules of natural history cinema, or even by reality”, the aim was to “have fun and be entertained”, he added.
Jack Bootle, head of specialist factual studies at the BBC, added: “Sir David spent his life championing the natural world, so it seemed fitting that the natural world would do something to say ‘thank you’ during this unique birthday tribute.”
