King Charles III and Queen Camilla have joined a wave of tributes marking the 100th birthday of British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough.

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The royal couple shared a birthday message celebrating the veteran presenter, alongside historic photographs including one from 1958 showing Attenborough introducing a young Charles III and Princess Anne to a cockatoo named Cocky during filming of the television series Zoo Quest. In their message, the King and Queen wished him a happy birthday and encouraged him to enjoy the celebrations planned for the evening.

Attenborough said he had been “completely overwhelmed” by the number of messages sent ahead of the milestone. While he could not reply individually, he thanked supporters and those organising local celebrations in his honour.

The centenary is being marked with a week of special programming and events, culminating in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Friday evening.

Messages from public figures

Tributes have come from across public life, including members of the royal family, entertainers and environmental advocates.

Prince William, speaking in a video for the Earthshot Prize initiative, wished Attenborough a happy birthday and thanked him for his longstanding support, saying his work continues to inspire him.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry described the broadcaster as a “secular saint” in an article for Time. He said Attenborough’s work had helped challenge the belief that environmental problems occur only elsewhere, adding that younger audiences still turn to him for perspective in an uncertain world.

Former England football captain David Beckham referred to Attenborough as a national treasure, while actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley shared a video message featuring residents from Stroud in Gloucestershire offering birthday wishes.

Television presenter Chris Packham wrote that Attenborough had made an unmatched contribution to inspiring public interest in the natural world.

A tribute video from the World Wide Fund for Nature featured a spoken-word version of the song What a Wonderful World, originally recorded by Louis Armstrong. The recording was voiced by actors including Judi Dench, Morgan Freeman, Miranda Richardson, Asa Butterfield, Sam Heughan and Iwan Rheon, alongside singer Geri Halliwell and wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin.

Composer Hans Zimmer said that despite his extensive film work, collaborating with Attenborough had been the most meaningful project of his career because of its connection to the future of the planet.

Actor Ian McKellen also praised Attenborough’s role in popularising natural history broadcasting, saying his programmes brought both enthusiasm and joy to audiences.

Celebrations at Royal Albert Hall

Friday evening’s concert at the Royal Albert Hall will serve as the centrepiece of the centenary celebrations.

The 90-minute programme, hosted by presenter Kirsty Young, will be broadcast on BBC channels. Guests including Michael Palin, Steve Backshall, Liz Bonnin and Chris Packham are expected to reflect on Attenborough’s career and influence.

The event will revisit notable wildlife sequences from programmes such as Planet Earth II, Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III. Live performances from the BBC Concert Orchestra will accompany highlights from these series.

Musical guests include Dan Smith of the band Bastille performing the song Pompeii, which featured in Planet Earth III. Icelandic band Sigur Rós will perform Hoppípolla, previously used to promote earlier Planet Earth programmes, while singer Sienna Spiro and harpist Francisco Yglesia are also scheduled to appear.

A century of broadcasting

Born in London in 1926, Attenborough joined the BBC in 1952 and went on to become one of the most recognised figures in wildlife broadcasting. His work includes landmark series such as Life on Earth, The Trials of Life and The Blue Planet.

To mark the centenary, the BBC has aired special programmes revisiting his career, including a documentary reflecting on the making of Life on Earth and the recent series Secret Garden, which explores wildlife in British gardens.

In another tribute, the Natural History Museum announced that a species of parasitic wasp discovered in its collection had been named after Attenborough. The insect, Attenboroughnculus tau, is native to lakes in Chilean Patagonia.

Over the years, numerous species — from plants and insects to a dinosaur — have been named in honour of the broadcaster.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 9 May 2026

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What a milestone for an extraordinary human being. Sir David Attenborough reaching 100 isn’t just a birthday - it’s a celebration of a life spent opening the world’s eyes to the beauty and fragility of our planet.

Few people have inspired as many generations, across as many countries, with such humility and grace.

In a world that often feels heavy, this is genuinely uplifting news. A remarkable century for a truly remarkable man.

He's my hero , been watching him from the Zoo Quest days ,

he has such a lovely voice too ,got to see many of the places

he visited and many more around the World,an inspiration.

Happy birthday David .may you have many more.

regards Worgeordie

What a man, what a hero, what a career, what a life.

David Attenborough is my number one hero in life. I have watched him on TV since I was four or five years old. Back then, of course, it was only black-and-white television, but still, it made a strong impression on me.

He did not just show us animals and nature. He taught us to care, to observe, and to understand how fragile and beautiful life on this planet really is.

My life would have been very different without him in it. I am quite confident about that.

I so agree. His programs illuminated that every creature/plant seems to be necessary in the endless loop of all life. If one part is missing, a negative chain reaction occurs.

He furthermore managed to make his films so interesting with his calm voice and simple, but profound narrative. What a man!

He is popular, not just in the UK.

A while back was haviing a haircut and the Albanian barber got on to what programs he liked to watch.

Apart from the usual football etc, anything by David Attenborough was high up on the list.

15 hours ago, worgeordie said:

He's my hero , been watching him from the Zoo Quest days ,

he has such a lovely voice too ,got to see many of the places

he visited and many more around the World,an inspiration.

Happy birthday David .may you have many more.

regards Worgeordie

Won't be many more as he's 100.

15 hours ago, Hummin said:

What a man, what a hero, what a career, what a life.

David Attenborough is my number one hero in life. I have watched him on TV since I was four or five years old. Back then, of course, it was only black-and-white television, but still, it made a strong impression on me.

He did not just show us animals and nature. He taught us to care, to observe, and to understand how fragile and beautiful life on this planet really is.

My life would have been very different without him in it. I am quite confident about that.

His camera men did most of the work.

His nature programs are very interesting, and he looks exceptionally fit for a hundred-year-old, but I disagree with his views on climate change which he believes is an urgent, man-made crisis which threatens the collapse of civilization and the natural world unless we take immediate and drastic action within this decade.

However, I'm not sure that's what he truly believes. It might just be the case that he understands that it's in his own interests to be politically correct and align his views on climate change with those of King Charles.

5 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

His camera men did most of the work.

You always so positive

12 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Won't be many more as he's 100.

Typical nonsens from you again, my G/F was 113.

18 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Won't be many more as he's 100.

17 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

His camera men did most of the work.

Please f*** O*f with your negative comments. Sir David Attenborough has brought education and entertainment to millions around the world.

Of course, cameramen and many others involved in the production have played their part but that does not diminished the impact he, personally, has made to millions of lives around the world.

5 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Please f*** O*f with your negative comments. Sir David Attenborough has brought education and entertainment to millions around the world.

Of course, cameramen and many others involved in the production have played their part but that does not diminished the impact he, personally, has made to millions of lives around the world.

• : A single 5-minute sequence in a documentary like Planet Earth can take weeks or even months to film. The crew often lives in hides (small, cramped tents) for 12+ hours a day, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures or 100% humidity, just to get one specific shot.

He's a good guy.

We like him.

So what. Whoopee. Big deal.

2 minutes ago, still kicking said:

We all know who the poster is. He got kicked off under the old name and keeps posting the same nonsense under the new name

Not true at all. Statistics give David a 0.02% chance of living to 110. His tv shows were good but he did about 5% of the work.

I like his voice. Happy Birthday!

3 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

Won't be many more as he's 100.

But he might have more than you.

Left wing BBC climate scaring iconoclast - lots to love there - Happy Birthday Sir and a lover of foxes. What's not to love ? Nothing.

Happy Birthday, Sir David. I'm sure that you are a regular reader of AN. Ignore the curmudgeons.

3 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

But he might have more than you.

I have a 95% chance of making 10 more years.

3 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

If its a female 100 years old, then they have a 10% chance. If its a male, then 5%.

Those are the stats from 80yo to 100yo. Best to calm done before posting.

6 hours ago, still kicking said:

Typical nonsens from you again, my G/F was 113.

Which can mean you'll still be kicking for quite some time 😀 Hopefully for you.

Edited May 9May 9 by fredwiggy

Kudos for those who spend their lives doing something positive for others to experience. Liked his brother Richard also, in one of my favorite movies The Great Escape, along with Jurassic Park and others.

3 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Left wing BBC climate scaring iconoclast - lots to love there - Happy Birthday Sir and a lover of foxes. What's not to love ? Nothing.

This is not about left or right. It is about survival.

And so far, we are not very good at it.

Not when we look at quality of life.

Not when we look at lifestyle.

Not when we look at how we treat the only home we have.

The planet itself can take whatever is thrown at it, but our habitat cannot. Our own habitat, the one we depend on, we seem too stupid to conserve.

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

This is not about left or right. It is about survival.

And so far, we are not very good at it.

Not when we look at quality of life.

Not when we look at lifestyle.

Not when we look at how we treat the only home we have.

The planet itself can take whatever is thrown at it, but our habitat cannot. Our own habitat, the one we depend on, we seem too stupid to conserve.

Lifestyle now is better than 100 years ago. People live longer. The average life expectancy has risen a lot. Hospitals and pharmacies everywhere. Plenty of food. Clean water in most places.

• 2025 Population: ~8.2 Billion While the population has grown 4.3x, total grain production has grown by roughly 8–10x. This means we currently produce significantly more food per person than we did a century ago, despite having four times as many mouths to feed.

After a brief stint in the Royal Navy and educational publishing, he joined the BBC in 1952. From that point on, his work shifted from conducting science to communicating it.

• He has never worked as a professional research scientist, nor has he published peer-reviewed papers in the traditional sense.

Edited May 9May 9 by Rockyroad

7 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

His camera men did most of the work.

Yes and the poor monkeys ...

Who were paid peanuts !

11 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Lifestyle now is better than 100 years ago. People live longer. The average life expectancy has risen a lot. Hospitals and pharmacies everywhere. Plenty of food. Clean water in most places.

• 2025 Population: ~8.2 Billion While the population has grown 4.3x, total grain production has grown by roughly 8–10x. This means we currently produce significantly more food per person than we did a century ago, despite having four times as many mouths to feed

There is no doubt that most humans have the possibility of a better life today than they had 100 years ago.But still, I think many people are too blind, or maybe too distracted, to realise their own possibilities for a good life. A hundred years ago, most ordinary people did not have hot water straight from the tap, a shower at home, or a water closet. Daily food was not simply covered by walking into one store and choosing from full shelves.

So many things have made our lives easier and better. But at the same time, maybe they have also made many people more miserable, because now we have excess time to think, compare, worry, and want more. Before, people were often slaves to other people, one way or another. Today, many of us are slaves to banks, debt, lifestyle, and expectations. We have more comfort than ever, but that does not automatically mean we have better lives.

And I do not mean a “good life” with sports cars, endless spending, overeating, and buying things that do not really matter. We can see that both rich and poor people have problems in life, just in different ways.

So what is quality of life?

Maybe it is making the best life possible for yourself and your family. Becoming as independent, sustainable, and healthy as you can. Having enough, instead of always chasing more. Having peace in your head, health in your body, and some control over your own life.

One important thing about this forum, and life in general, is this:

If you cultivate positivity, you become more positive.

If you constantly cultivate negativity, you become more negative.

Or maybe better said:

If you cultivate positivity, the only risk you take is that you become more positive towards life and yourself.

I love this guy, he got some gold once and awhile

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

I like his voice. Happy Birthday!

Finely we can agree on one thing!

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

There is no doubt that most humans have the possibility of a better life today than they had 100 years ago.But still, I think many people are too blind, or maybe too distracted, to realise their own possibilities for a good life. A hundred years ago, most ordinary people did not have hot water straight from the tap, a shower at home, or a water closet. Daily food was not simply covered by walking into one store and choosing from full shelves.

So many things have made our lives easier and better. But at the same time, maybe they have also made many people more miserable, because now we have excess time to think, compare, worry, and want more. Before, people were often slaves to other people, one way or another. Today, many of us are slaves to banks, debt, lifestyle, and expectations. We have more comfort than ever, but that does not automatically mean we have better lives.

And I do not mean a “good life” with sports cars, endless spending, overeating, and buying things that do not really matter. We can see that both rich and poor people have problems in life, just in different ways.

So what is quality of life?

Maybe it is making the best life possible for yourself and your family. Becoming as independent, sustainable, and healthy as you can. Having enough, instead of always chasing more. Having peace in your head, health in your body, and some control over your own life.

One important thing about this forum, and life in general, is this:

If you cultivate positivity, you become more positive.

If you constantly cultivate negativity, you become more negative.

Or maybe better said:

If you cultivate positivity, the only risk you take is that you become more positive towards life and yourself.

I love this guy, he got some gold once and awhile

My life is great.