Prince Harry calls Sir David Attenborough a ‘secular saint’ | Royal | News
The Duke of Sussex praised Sir David Attenborough as “an institutional pillar to the national fabric as important as a cup of tea”.
Writing in Time magazine, Harry paid tribute to Sir David, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday, describing him as “more than a broadcaster” but rather a “secular saint”.
The Duke said Sir David, or the “Voice of Nature” as he called him, had won the trust of people all over the world by “showing us that our environment alone is worth appreciating”. He highlighted how Sir David had brought vital issues such as climate change and habitat destruction to the fore.
“Attenborough’s measured tone and lack of any conceivable agenda means the alarm bells he is ringing signal greater urgency,” he wrote.
“When a man who has literally seen it all begins to describe the planet’s loss of stability, he is not provocative. He is reporting from the front lines of a planet he has known longer and more intimately than almost anyone alive.”
Harry said Sir David’s “most important contribution was systematically dismantling the idea that climate problems occur ‘elsewhere’.” He continued: “For most people, the natural world is a destination, often visited through a screen, offering a rare sense of calm, perspective and escape, a safe respite from the pressures of everyday life.
“Attenborough has made it impossible to keep that distance, and his work has helped us connect the dots by showing that remote glaciers, forests and rivers are much more than beautiful landscapes, they are part of the fragile systems on which our own societies depend.
“Thanks to his work, we have begun to better understand how modern forms of consumption that seem so far removed from nature can nevertheless put enormous pressure on the ecosystems that nourish it.”
Harry also noted Sir David’s remarkable ability to engage young audiences, observing how he “has bridged the generation gap by embracing platforms where young people live, reaching millions through social media and streaming.”
He continued: “He does not preach or lecture, but shares a century-old perspective. For a generation overwhelmed by noise and uncertainty, Attenborough represents convincing originality.”
The Duke declared in the UK: “Sir David Attenborough is more than a broadcaster; he is a secular saint. He is an institutional pillar as important to the national fabric as a cup of tea.”
“100-year-old Sir David Attenborough has spent his whole life patiently, honestly and curiously telling us the truth. He has shown us the world in all its brilliance and fragility, and in doing so he has left both a gift and a responsibility to humanity. The question now is whether those with the power to act will choose to lead before we lose more of our world – our life support system.”
