Rod Stewart and Kate Winslet among stars at King Charles film premiere at Windsor Castle
A host of stars joined the King to watch the film, the first to premiere at a royal residence.
Finding Harmony: A King’s VisionThe film, which will be released on Prime Video next month, was screened at Windsor Castle on Wednesday evening.
The film chronicles the monarch’s lifelong commitment to defending nature.
Among the 222 attendees were actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judi Dench and Stanley Tucci.
Oscar winner Kate Winslet, who narrated the documentary, was joined by musicians Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland.
Finding Harmony It encourages viewers to see themselves as part of nature, following King Charles as he reflects on the harmony between humanity, nature and the environment.
Charles has stated that he “will not be diverted” from his environmental campaign, despite the criticism he has faced for decades.
While raising the curtain on the event, Winslet described the documentary as a “special” and “important” work.
He gave some background on Charles’ Harmony theory, telling guests before watching: “Harmony is a beautiful theory that invites us to see ourselves as part of nature – not separate from it – and to tackle the world’s climate challenges with an interconnected, nature-first approach.
“You are about to see how this theory has been put into practice around the world, in many inspiring ways, in many different cultures, and sometimes for centuries.”
The film took six months to complete, but for Charles it was “a lifetime in the making.”
He also talked about his “passionate approach to encouraging positive change” that he hopes to see around the world.
Queen Camilla, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also in the audience.
In the 90-minute film, shot in collaboration with charity The King’s Foundation for Amazon MGM Studios, King says the situation is “rapidly going backwards” with humanity “essentially destroying our means of survival.”
But he expresses the hope that “when I break free from this mortal cycle” greater awareness of “the need to put things back together” may emerge.
Charles is seen collecting eggs from his chickens in the “Cluckingham Palace” coop at his Highgrove estate, and reveals his love of crispy baked potatoes, declaring that the best variety for it is “red Duke of York”.
The documentary, which will air on the streaming giant next month, chronicles how Charles, as Prince of Wales, emerged as a key figure on the environment over the years, delivering regular keynote speeches despite “cries from some for him to take a backseat,” Winslet said.
“I just felt like that was the approach that I was going to stick to,” Charles says in the new footage. “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, Winslet says: “While explaining his passion for organic gardening to the press, Prince Charles 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, said: “He was really upset by these criticisms. “He was treated very unfairly, he was seen very unfairly, and those of us who knew him better were quite disturbed by that.
“It was hard to know how to react, but I really felt sorry for him.”
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 signed a deal with Amazon rival Netflix, which led to the 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 King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s disastrous Newsnight interview.
Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision It will be released on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on February 6.
