Sir David Attenborough, the person, the image, and the voice that best symbolize the love for nature and conservationism professed by many Britons, celebrated his 100th birthday this Friday night at London’s Royal Albert Hall alongside thousands of them. Alongside him in the box was the Prince of Wales, William of England, tasked with paying tribute with the highest possible honors to one of the most beloved men in the English country. “It is a very special privilege to be able to celebrate 100 years of life, but it is even more unique when it is the birthday of the person who has transformed our vision of the only home we have, Planet Earth,” said the prince.
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Thousands of people had come to the venue to celebrate Attenborough’s decades of achievements, and the most special and iconic moments of the dozens of documentaries he has made for the BBC that have been broadcast, admired, and awarded worldwide.
But one of the most special moments of the gala was the video starring King Charles III from Balmoral Castle, his mother’s favorite place, Elizabeth II, of an austere and wild beauty incomparable. Like the late queen, even better given his youthful theater experience, the monarch writes a beautiful congratulatory letter to Attenborough from the castle’s study. Dressed in tweed, the quintessential Scottish fabric associated with the upper class and the English countryside, Charles III writes with a pen and his voice narrates the text: “Over the decades you have revealed the beauty and wonders 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 this precious planet of ours and all life on Earth for future generations,” he says.
The best comes next. The dog in charge of carrying the envelope to its recipient, aboard an off-road vehicle traveling through the Scottish landscape, has its journey interrupted by a fallen tree in the middle of the path. From there begins an adventure like that of the Tsar’s courier of Strogoff, but starring all the fascinating creatures that have populated Attenborough’s documentaries for years.
The dog delivers the letter to a hawk when it sees that the cliffs will not let it continue its journey. The hawk will throw the missive to a hedgehog, who will be relieved by a squirrel, then a goose, an otter, a swan from the London parks, a duck, a street fox that will roam hidden through the city’s streets, a deer, and an owl, who will be the one to deposit the congratulation in the mailbox.
Attenborough, in the Royal Hall box, shows the letter, dirty and worn, which he already has in his hands, to the entire audience, and stands up to show it to everyone.
Guests and music
Throughout the tribute evening, many celebrities wanted to send their congratulations to the naturalist through video messages. “Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for our wonderful planet and its inhabitants,” said actor Leonardo DiCaprio. “Thank you for everything you have given us over these years. The world is a much better place thanks to you,” added actress Olivia Colman. Joining them were the great lady of cinema and theater, Judi Dench; Coldplay singer Chris Martin; actress and writer of the series Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge; singer Camila Cabello; composer Hans Zimmer; and even the legendary children’s character, Paddington Bear.
The orchestra recreated during the night the soundtrack that accompanied some of the sequences starring Attenborough that have gone down in history and remained in the retina and memory of millions of viewers, such as the battle between snakes and iguanas from Planet Earth II.
All attendees, who saw a complete review of Attenborough’s life and work on the big screen, culminated the gala by singing Happy Birthday to the honoree at the same time, who could not help but show, through his eyes and smile, the emotion at the recognition and affection towards him and his work.
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