In 1975, a future King completed a daring and unprecedented royal tour like none that had come before - and it’s one that 'nearly killed' him.
King Charles – who, in 1975 was still the Prince of Wales and direct heir to the throne, aged just 26 – took part in a historic visit to Canada’s Northwest Passage, and the expedition included a bracing Arctic dive, submerging himself below the ice.
This chapter in His Majesty’s life was recently the subject of an ITV documentary, Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge, which saw the King look back on his adventures.
The documentary, which aired on December 18, saw the explorer and naturalist, Steve Backshall, retrace the King’s steps and take part in the challenge himself, also in part to highlight the impact climate change has had on the environment in those decades.
In clips shared by Buckingham Palace, the two were seen talking about Charles’s time in 1975, including the 'freezing temperatures' he endured and how he 'could never have survived it' today.
In the scene, Steve asks the King if there’s anything 'overwhelming' he remembers about the trip 50 years ago, to which His Majesty replies, 'Well, diving under the ice. That I vividly remember'.
He added, with a good-hearted chuckle, 'And also, failing to get the dog sled to work because it had snowed overnight before I got there. So there was too much powder snow. The dogs couldn’t pull it. So, then I had to run along behind, which nearly killed me, dressed like that.'
Asked if archival footage and images of Charles in 1975 has him wanting to go back, the King laughs that he’s too old now, adding 'thank God I was younger in those days. I could never have survived it now.'
Speaking to the Mirror, Dr Joe MacInnis, the diver who went below the ice with Charles 50 years ago, added new insight about what it was like, and the strong, emotive reaction he witnessed in the young Prince:
Dr MacInnis said, "He looked so intensely, like he was trying to understand or absorb what he was seeing. I realised he was looking with three eyes - two in his head and one in his heart. It seemed like a very profound moment, as if he could already sense how fragile it all was."
Back in the documentary, Steve and Charles agreed that, despite it all, the trip was invigorating, and Charles called the experience 'fantastic' before asking if they can still manage such activities up there, bringing the conversation onto a cause that’s been close to His Majesty’s heart for decades - the environment.
Steve revealed that the expedition season had become much shorter due to climate changes, and the King showed great concern for the impact it’s having on the wildlife.
Far from hopping on any bandwagon, King Charles has been advocating for the environment for decades. In one of his first major public speeches, aged just 21 in 1970, he spoke about the need to reduce pollution and focus on conservation for the European Conservation Year.
Since then, his works on the matter have included championing organic farming at the Highgrove Estate through his Duchy Organic brand and supporting projects through his numerous charities.
How to watch Steve Backshall's Royal Arctic Challenge anywhere in the world
For anyone in the UK, the fascinating documentary can be watched in full on ITVX.
However, for those outside of the UK or travelling, you can still enjoy the episode, with the use of a Virtual Private Network - a VPN.
A VPN allows you to change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the show, even if you're not there.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate NordVPN to be the best.
They say, "It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Nord."
If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:
- Download and install the VPN following NordVPN's easy-to-follow instructions.
- Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location as anywhere in the UK.
- With your VPN installed and server location set to UK, you can now watch Steve Backshall's Royal Arctic Challenge on ITVX.
