Prince Harry Honors David Attenborough with Emotional 100th Birthday Tribute

Staff AuthorFri, May 8, 2026 at 2:32 AM UTC

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Sir David Attenborough
Credit: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty; Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty -

Prince Harry praised David Attenborough for inspiring generations to protect nature and addressing urgent climate change issues

Attenborough turns 100 on May 8 and is celebrating with a new documentary revisiting his iconic wildlife series

The broadcaster recently made Daytime Emmy history as the awards' oldest winner, for his narration work in Netflix's Secret Lives of Orangutans

Prince Harry is paying tribute to Sir David Attenborough ahead of the famed broadcaster’s 100th birthday.

In a heartfelt essay written for Time magazine, the Duke of Sussex reflected on Attenborough’s decades-long impact on audiences around the world, describing him as “more than a broadcaster” to generations raised in the United Kingdom.

“For almost anyone who grew up in the United Kingdom, Sir David Attenborough is more than a broadcaster; he is a secular saint,” Harry, 41, wrote. “He is an institutional pillar as essential to the national fabric as a cup of tea.”

Harry praised Attenborough for inspiring generations to appreciate and protect the natural world through his documentaries and storytelling.

Prince William, Sir David Attenborough, King Charles, and Prince Harry at a film premiere.
Credit: John Phillips/Getty

“He has earned the world’s trust by simply showing us that our environment is worth appreciating,” Harry continued. “He didn’t demand our attention, but drew us in with the wonder of nature all the same.”

The Prince also reflected on Attenborough’s growing warnings about climate change and environmental destruction, writing that the broadcaster’s message carries added urgency because of his lifetime spent documenting the planet.

“When a man who has quite literally seen it all begins to describe the loss of the planet's stability, he isn't being provocative,” Harry wrote. “He is reporting from the front lines of a planet he has known longer, and more intimately, than almost anyone alive.”

Elsewhere in the essay, Harry praised Attenborough’s continued connection with younger audiences, noting that he has embraced streaming and social media platforms to reach new generations.

Sir David Attenborough
Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty

“To a generation overwhelmed by noise and uncertainty, Attenborough represents credible authenticity,” Harry wrote.

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Attenborough has long had a close relationship with the royal family, especially King Charles and Prince William, both known for their conservation work. In 2020, Prince William debuted his Earthshot Prize alongside the host, and later reflected on the impact of Attenborough's work in a post shared to Instagram in 2025.

"“However hard hitting his message is, Sir David always leaves us with a sense of hope and optimism that all is not lost and this film is no different,” William wrote at the time, following the release of the film Ocean with David Attenborough. "We must act together, with urgency, to restore our oceans."

Attenborough turns 100 on May 8. As previously reported by PEOPLE, the celebrated broadcaster is commemorating the milestone with a new documentary, Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, which premiered May 6 on PBS.

The film revisits Attenborough’s groundbreaking wildlife series Life on Earth and includes behind-the-scenes commentary about its production, including the now-iconic scenes featuring gorillas in Rwanda.

“My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery,” Attenborough said in a statement about the documentary. “Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations, and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man.”

Sir David Attenborough
Credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

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“In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health,” he added.

The documentary took two years to film, according to National Geographic, and explores ocean ecosystems around the world and the impact of human activity on marine life.

Attenborough also recently made Daytime Emmy history after becoming the oldest recipient of the award. The broadcaster won outstanding daytime personality for narrating the 2024 Netflix docuseries Secret Lives of Orangutans.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”