The Mail on Sunday

Young Royals’ delight at the back- garden f ilm premiere

- By EMILY ANDREWS ROYAL EDITOR

WITH no red carpet, no flashing paparazzi bulbs and no Hollywood starlets swanning through Leicester Square in glamorous, fleshbarin­g gowns, it was a royal film premiere like no other.

Instead, Prince William sat on a rickety wooden chair in his back garden alongside a 94-year-old man cloaked in a tartan blanket to ward off the autumn chill.

But that man was Sir David Attenborou­gh, who was unveiling his new documentar­y – and who received a reception worthy of the hottest Tinseltown star from three eager young fans, Princes George, seven, and Louis, two, and Princess Charlotte, five, after the screening.

He presented George with a tooth from an extinct giant shark, which lived 23 million years ago, which he had found on a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s.

The three children are all interested in dinosaurs and were fascinated by the megalodon fossil and excitedly asked Sir David a number of questions.

A Palace aide said: ‘The children are massive fans of Sir David and this was the first time they had met him, although they have always wanted to. So they were absolutely delighted, and you can see from Charlotte’s reaction in the picture how excited she was.

‘They were fascinated by the shark tooth and Sir David explained how he had found it, how old it was and how it had been preserved in Malta’s soft yellow limestone.’

Kate, in a new £ 1,295 Gabriela Hearst denim shirt dress and £475 Rupert Sanderson pumps, smiled as Charlotte, in a £23 Zara floral Peter Pan collar dress, put her hands to her face with excitement.

George, in a £40 Trotters checked shirt and £ 50 Start- Rite school brogues, handled the giant tooth with evident amazement.

The joyous meeting in Kensington Palace gardens came on Thursday afternoon after William, 38, and the veteran broadcaste­r watched David Attenborou­gh: A Life On Our Planet, about the naturalist’s 70-year career as a conservati­onist and the environmen­tal crisis facing the planet.

Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors’ chairs with their names printed on the back – but as a joke they sat in each other’s seats. The pair then watched the 80-minute film, and Sir David gave the Prince a copy of the accompanyi­ng book.

The Palace aide added: ‘The Duke thought it was Sir David’s best documentar­y yet. It is a terrifying look at what we’ve done to the planet and where we are today, but it also offers hope and cause for optimism because if we can act now, and act together, we can turn things around.’ The two men have been friends for some time. William interviewe­d Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerlan­d, last year and during the discussion the broadcaste­r and WWF ambassador warned that humanity needed to act so that it did not ‘annihilate part of the natural world’.

Last year the Duke and Duchess officially named a polar research ship after Sir David – despite the public voting to call it Boaty McBoatface – and at the ceremony Kate told the broadcaste­r that the children were ‘very upset’ they could not come and meet him.

Sir David’s documentar­y was originally due to be released in cinemas in April, with a premiere at the Royal Albert Hall. However, the film became a victim of the coronaviru­s lockdown, and producers had to postpone the release until this week.

David Attenborou­gh: A Life On Our Planet will now be screened in cinemas tomorrow for one night only and will then be available on Netflix from October 4. The accompanyi­ng book – extracts from which The Mail on Sunday printed over the past two weeks – is out on Thursday.

‘The Duke thought it was Sir David’s best work yet’

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 ??  ?? WHO’S WHO: The Prince and Sir David switch seats to watch the naturalist’s new documentar­y
WHO’S WHO: The Prince and Sir David switch seats to watch the naturalist’s new documentar­y
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 ??  ?? IT ROCKS: George and Louis are fascinated by the megalodon fossil
IT ROCKS: George and Louis are fascinated by the megalodon fossil
 ??  ?? FORCE OF NATURE: The Duke, clutching a copy of Sir David’s new book, and the rest of the family chat excitedly to the veteran broadcaste­r
FORCE OF NATURE: The Duke, clutching a copy of Sir David’s new book, and the rest of the family chat excitedly to the veteran broadcaste­r

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