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King Charles will appear “as never before” this Christmas as he joins adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall for a powerful new ITV documentary exploring the urgent realities of climate change.
The 90-minute programme, titled Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge, will see the celebrated wildlife presenter retrace the King’s footsteps across the Canadian Arctic, exactly 50 years after His Majesty’s own expedition to the region in 1975.
In the film, King Charles reflects on how that early trip as the then Prince of Wales profoundly influenced his lifelong commitment to protecting the natural world. Speaking candidly, he discusses the “devastating effects” of global warming and the lessons we can still learn from the Arctic’s fragile ecosystem.
The documentary, which forms part of ITV’s Christmas schedule, offers a rare glimpse into the King’s personal passion for the environment and features intimate conversations between Charles and Backshall about the growing crisis facing the planet’s polar regions.
Back in 1975, a 26-year-old Prince Charles travelled to the Arctic with Canadian scientists and researchers, taking part in activities such as dog sledging and even diving beneath the Arctic ice. His aim at the time was to understand more about how people and wildlife adapt to the region’s extreme conditions, an experience that shaped his environmental values for decades to come.
During that trip, the young Prince spent time with local Inuit communities, learning about their culture and deep connection to the land and sea. In one memorable moment, he even sampled raw seal liver, a traditional delicacy offered by his hosts.
In the new documentary, Steve Backshall retraces those same steps, meeting scientists and Inuit elders who share their firsthand experiences of how the Arctic has transformed in the past half-century. From melting glaciers to dwindling polar bear populations, the film highlights how the region is now warming three times faster than the rest of the planet.
Steve said in a statement that working with the King was “an extraordinary privilege,” describing the monarch as “deeply knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely emotional about the natural world.” He added: “To hear His Majesty reflect on his time in the Arctic all those years ago, and to see how much it has stayed with him, is truly inspiring. His insight gives this story a sense of hope as well as urgency.”
The programme also features archive footage from the King’s original 1975 expedition, offering viewers a fascinating look back at a young royal who was, even then, warning about the dangers of environmental neglect.
ITV insiders say the documentary will be one of the highlights of the channel’s festive line-up, providing a mix of royal reflection, breathtaking scenery, and vital conversation about the future of our planet.
For viewers, Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge promises to be both a tribute to the King’s environmental legacy and a timely reminder of the importance of protecting the Earth’s most vulnerable places.
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