The King and Queen welcomed stars of stage and screen to Windsor Castle tonight for the premiere of Charles’s new documentary – the first ever to be hosted in a royal residence.
Kate Winslet, who narrates Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, said the film had been “a lifetime in the making” as she praised the King’s “great vision and foresight”.
Sir Rod and Lady Stewart, Fearne Cotton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judi Dench and Stanley Tucci were among the big names joining Charles and Camilla for the special screening of the film, which will be available to watch on Amazon Prime from 6th February.
The Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also among the 222 guests at the black-tie event, along with Alan Titchmarsh, Jools Holland, Sarah Beeny, Tim Peake and Raymond Blanc.
The Queen, in a green velvet Anna Valentine dress, was wearing a hand-crafted brooch made by embroidery graduates from the King’s nature and sustainability charity, The King’s Foundation, as was the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester. Lady Stewart (Penny Lancaster) also wore a King’s Foundation brooch, while Sir Rod sported a pair of bee cufflinks.
Entering Waterloo Chamber, where the screening took place, Sophie, in a green dress, walked over to Dame Judi and greeted her with a kiss, while Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci chatted and laughed.
Filmed across four continents over seven months, and using 75 years of archive footage, the “deeply personal” 90-minute film charts Charles’s decades-long mission to challenge climate change and explores his vision for a more balanced and sustainable world.
It also explains his philosophy of Harmony, which encourages us to see ourselves as part of nature, not separate from it, and shows how he has dedicated his life to finding solutions to some of the world’s problems through his nature and sustainability charity The King’s Foundation.
© Getty“Your Majesty, I know that for you, this documentary has been a lifetime in the making,” Kate Winslet said as she introduced the documentary. “Thank you for being an inspiration to us all, with your passionate approach towards promoting the positive change that you sincerely long to see across the globe.
“And thank you for hosting us here in the magnificent Windsor Castle, and to your exceptional team for assembling tonight’s beautiful event. What [an] incredible privilege it is to be here.”
© Getty ImagesRoyal aides describe the film as “not a conventional royal documentary” and one which they hope audiences will find “genuinely fascinating and revealing about King Charles the monarch, King Charles the man and King Charles the environmental missionary.”
“There are no golden carriages here; no glittering crowns or crimson robes,” said a spokesman for the King. “Instead, this is a a deeply personal exploration of ideas that have shaped His Majesty’s life and work.”
© Getty ImagesFinding Harmony charts how The King’s Foundation, which has its headquarters at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, has sparked a global Harmony movement and highlights sustainable projects from Afghanistan to Guyana.
The King is seen in his garden at Highgrove and collecting eggs from his “Cluckingham Palace” chicken coop. The film also shows footage of Charles fishing with a young Prince Harry and bird watching with young Prince William.
© Getty ImagesAfterwards, guests headed into St George’s Hall for a champaign reception. The royals chatted to some of the King’s Foundation celebrity ambassadors, including Jools Holland, who said afterwards: “I think the thing I’ve learned most from the film is seeing the King and his determination to keep going on this, but it underlines his love for humanity. That’s what it is; his kindness has led to this incredible project.”
Tony Juniper, co-author of the King’s Harmony book, which is being re-released in March, said: “This film is a real testament to the more than half a century of contribution that King Charles has made to what are the most pressing issues in the modern world.”
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