The Duke of Sussex has described Sir David Attenborough as an “institutional pillar as essential to the national fabric as a cup of tea”.
Writing in Time magazine, Harry paid tribute to Sir David as he celebrates his 100th birthday on Friday, referring to him as “more than a broadcaster”, and instead a “secular saint”.
The duke said Sir David, or as he called him, “the Voice of Nature”, has earned the trust of people all over the world “by simply showing us that our environment is worth appreciating”.
He highlighted how Sir David has brought serious issues such as climate change and habitation loss to much greater attention.
“Attenborough’s measured demeanor and lack of any conceivable agenda mean that the alarm bells he sounds signify all the more urgency,” he wrote.
“When a man who has quite literally seen it all begins to describe the loss of the planet’s stability, he isn’t being 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 significant contribution has been the systematic dismantling of the notion that climate issues are happening ‘somewhere else'”.
He added: “For most people, the natural world is often a destination visited through a screen, safely removed from the pressures of daily life, offering a rare sense of calm, perspective, and escape.”
“Attenborough has made that distance impossible to maintain, and his work has helped us to connect the dots, showing that distant glaciers, forests, and rivers are far more than beautiful landscapes – they are part of the delicate systems upon which our own communities depend.
“Through his work, we have also come to better understand how forms of modern consumption that appear far removed from nature can nevertheless place enormous strain on the ecosystems sustaining it.”
Harry also pointed out Sir David’s skill in appealing to young people, and how he has “bypassed the generational gap by embracing the platforms where young people live, reaching millions through social media and streaming”.
He added: “He doesn’t preach or lecture but shares a perspective that spans a century.
“To a generation overwhelmed by noise and uncertainty, Attenborough represents credible authenticity.”
The duke said that in the UK, “Sir David Attenborough is more than a broadcaster; he is a secular saint.
“He is an institutional pillar as essential to the national fabric as a cup of tea.
“At 100, Sir David Attenborough has spent a lifetime delivering us the facts with patience, honesty, and wonder.
“He has shown us the world in all its brilliance and fragility, and in doing so has left humanity with both a gift and a responsibility.
“The question now is whether those with the power to act will choose to lead before more of our world – our life support system – is lost.”
