Why King Charles ‘wasn’t going to be diverted’ from environmental issues despite past criticism
King Charles has said he “will not be diverted” from his long-running environmental campaign, despite having previously faced criticism for his views.
His unwavering dedication is explored in a new Prime Video documentary: Finding Harmony: A King’s VisionIt is set for release next month.
The 90-minute film, produced in collaboration with The King’s Foundation and Amazon MGM Studios, chronicles Charles’ “Harmony” philosophy and his lifelong commitment to green issues.
In the documentary, the King expresses concern that the situation is “rapidly going backwards” with humanity “literally destroying our means of survival.”
However, he also shares a hopeful perspective, wishing there was more awareness of “the need to put it all back together” when “I shuffle this mortal coil.”
Viewers will also see a more personal side to the monarch, including her collecting eggs from her chickens in the “Cluckingham Palace” coop on her Highgrove estate. He also shares his fondness for crispy baked potatoes, declaring the superior version of this dish to be “red Duke of Yorks.”
Actor Kate Winslet, who narrates the film, describes how the criticism Charles faced after he said he talked to plants in a 1986 television interview was “not forgotten”.
Ms Winslet describes in the documentary how the King, as Prince of Wales, has emerged over the years as a key figure on the environment, delivering regular keynote speeches despite “calls from some for him to take a backseat”.
In the new footage, The King adds: “I felt like that was the approach I was going to stick to. It was a path that I had set myself and that I wasn’t going to deviate from.”
Following his academic comment that the world is not “in orbit” to limit the worst effects of climate change, Charles says: “It’s going backwards fast, I’ve been saying that for the last 40 years, but anyway, here we are… I can only do what I can, which isn’t much – anyway.
“People don’t seem to understand that the problem is not just climate but also biodiversity loss, so we are essentially destroying our means of survival all the time.
“It’s possible to put this back together, but we should have done it a long time ago. Now we have to do it as fast as we can.”
He adds: “Maybe once I get out of this mortal coil there might be a little more awareness of the need to put things back together.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Winslet says: “When Prince Charles was explaining his passion for organic gardening to the press, he made a comment that has haunted him ever since.”
The film includes archive footage of how he talks to plants.
Ian Skelly, co-author of King’s 2010 book Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our WorldHe said: “These criticisms really upset him. He was treated very unfairly, it was seen very unfairly, and those of us who knew him better were also very upset about this.
“It was hard to know how to react, but I really felt sorry for him.”
Charles said in 1986: “I just come and talk to the plants, really, it’s so important to talk to them, they respond.”
A young Duke of Sussex, who had a troubled relationship with the King, appears fleetingly in archive footage of Charles teaching his youngest son how to fish at Balmoral.
The Prince of Wales also appears with Charles at Highgrove as a young boy, lying next to his father on the grass when he is a teenager, and visiting a herd of cows with Charles at Home Farm in 2004 when William is in his twenties.
Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, along with the current Prince and Princess of Wales, are briefly pictured in footage from the King’s coronation.
And the late Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth is shown filming young Charles in archival footage of the future king in home movies.
He reveals his appreciation for the humble baked potato when discussing his decision to plant a wide range of rare vegetable varieties at Highgrove when he began developing the gardens in the 1980s.
“Part of it is finding the right varieties. If you want a good baked potato, which I love, they have to have a crispy skin, so red Duke of Yorks is very good.”
The documentary explores the origins, development and scientific basis of the “harmony” philosophy put forward by King in his 2010 book.
The book will be republished by HarperCollins in March to mark the release of the documentary.
The documentary also shows how The King’s Foundation, headquartered at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, embraces a cohesion approach (the importance of living in balance with nature) through projects focusing on community regeneration, sustainable textiles and traditional skills.
The King and Queen will attend the premiere at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, with Buckingham Palace believed to be the first time a global film premiere has been held at a royal residence.
The king’s spokesman said the film was “not a traditional royal documentary”.
“There are no gold cars here; no sparkling crowns or red dresses,” the spokesman added.
“Instead, it is a deeply personal exploration of the ideas that shaped Her Majesty’s life and work: the interconnectedness of all things, the wisdom of traditional knowledge, and the belief that we can build a future that works in partnership with nature rather than against it.”
The spokesman added that this “sets a new high watermark for royal documentaries”.
The film is believed to be King’s first documentary to have a streaming platform.
The Duke of Sussex famously signed a deal with Amazon rival Netflix, leading to controversial series Harry and MeghanThe film reveals the couple’s struggles with royal life.
Amazon produced the series A Very Royal Scandal – A dramatized retelling of the disaster of the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor news night report.
‘Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision’ will be released on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on February 6.
