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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