A new documentary promises to unveil a more personal side of King Charles, portraying him as "quite an informal person" while chronicling his decades-long commitment to environmentalism.
The Prime Video programme, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, explores how the monarch, as Prince of Wales, championed ecological issues and sustainable practices long before they became mainstream global concerns, often encountering opposition.
Made in collaboration with his charity, The King’s Foundation, established in 1990, the film will be available from Friday, February 6.
Kristina Murrin, chief executive at The King’s Foundation, offered compelling insight into the King’s character as depicted, suggesting it will challenge public perceptions.
"You do get to see him as quite an informal person, telling you about what he believes in, which is not how we tend to normally see him," Murrin revealed.
She elaborated on his engaging personality: "He is very funny. He is a joy to work with, genuinely, and so I think what I wanted was for viewers to get what we in the Foundation and others get to see him in the more informal setting."
Murrin also underscored the King’s unique motivation, distinguishing him from other public figures: "There is something fairly unique when you say, if I’m in corporate, I’m trying to make money, if I’m a politician, I’m trying to get reelected, if I’m a celebrity, I’m trying to be more famous. He has no agenda. He doesn’t need any of those things. His only agenda is help."
Beyond personal revelations, the documentary delves into His Majesty’s unwavering advocacy for scientific understanding of critical global challenges like biodiversity loss, deforestation, and climate change. These issues he consistently raised and campaigned on well before they became widely discussed or accepted as urgent priorities.
While the film documents nature’s pervasive decline across the world and its increasingly difficult impact, it also offers a powerful, hopeful vision for the future. It showcases how The King’s Foundation, headquartered at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, has embraced this forward-looking approach through projects focusing on community regeneration, sustainable textiles, and traditional skills.
Murrin expanded on the growing influence and relevance of the Foundation’s work, noting a significant increase in global interest. "I think in the last few years we’ve realised as the number of people wanting to come here and see what we’re doing as we’ve applied it in lots of different locations around the world, there is a huge degree of interest," she explained.
She articulated the unique value proposition of their initiatives: "We’ve got something quite special here that is applicable, and I think is really pertinent to the challenges that the world is facing on a number of different fronts, whether that be, you know, the climate or social cohesion."
Murrin also spoke passionately about the profound local impact, adding: "When you see how people respond and how the local community here feels about this place now, they’re incredibly proud of Dumfries House and they will describe it as theirs and they feel like they’ve been part of the regeneration. I wanted that. I wanted some sort of visual that communicated that. We’ve tried to make the principles come across so that doesn’t matter who you are, there’s something in there for you and we’re really proud of it."
The film’s narrative is brought to life by Oscar-winning actress and charity ambassador Kate Winslet. A special screening is scheduled for Wednesday evening at Windsor Castle, where His Majesty will attend alongside the Queen. They will be accompanied by the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, marking a significant royal endorsement of the programme.
Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision will be available to stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide from February 6.
