King Charles has featured in a surprise birthday tribute to Sir David Attenborough, with a cast of wild animals helping to relay his handwritten congratulatory centenary card from Balmoral Castle to the naturalist's London home. The whimsical film, titled 'A Very Special Delivery', premiered during a live gala tribute at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday night.
The four-minute film begins with the King writing his tribute in the library of Balmoral Castle, wearing an animal-themed tie featuring elephants. Queen Camilla's rescue dog Moley scampers around his desk. The signed card is then borne on a silver salver by a butler to a waiting Land Rover, but a fallen tree blocks the vehicle, prompting a rescue mission by a relay of heroic animals.
A border collie called Flynn takes off with the envelope, and a relay of birds and animals carries, ferries, and flies the card from the Scottish Highlands to towns and waterways across Scotland and England. Eagles, a red squirrel, a flock of geese, an otter, a swan, a duck, a fox, and a deer all play their part before a barn owl called Lily delivers the tattered card through Attenborough's letterbox.
In his card, King Charles wrote: 'It is amazing to think that you and I have known one another for more than 60 years... Over those decades you have revealed the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world... Thank you, then, for all that you have done. And on behalf of the whole nation, I wish you a very happy 100th birthday.'
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King was delighted to feature in the tribute and followed each stage of the filming process with great interest. The film was produced by BBC Studios' natural history unit, with executive producer Mike Davis describing it as a 'labour of love' that aimed to include much-loved British species while having fun and entertaining.
