King Charles admits 'I could never have survived now' as he reflects on Arctic ice dive
Rather him than us!King Charles has reminisced on a daring Arctic ice dive that he braved during his younger days.
The King reflected on the experience with naturalist and explorer Steve Backshall, who has attempted to retrace the then 26-year-old prince’s steps for an upcoming TV documentary.
King Charles Arctic dive
In late April 1975, a young Prince Charles embarked on a royal tour of the Canadian Arctic. He spent ten days learning about the way of life of local Inuit people and taking part in some extreme adventures.
The once-in-a-lifetime experience would go on to shape his lifelong passion for the environment and powerful belief in living in harmony with nature.
Earlier this year, half a century on to the day, Steve Backshall followed in the King’s footsteps.
For a new ITV documentary, Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge, he set out to discover how the fragile landscape has changed in the fifty years that have since passed, and what the future might hold in the wake of climate change. He also recreated King Charles’ treacherous dive under the sea ice.
In a teaser for the programme, which will be broadcast tomorrow (December 18), the pair are shown reacting to the footage of King Charles’ original trip together.
“Thank God I was younger in those days,” King Charles chuckled, as he watched a clip of his younger self wearing a bright red wetsuit. “I could never have survived it now.”
Another clip showed his ice diving suit puffed up with air for insulation, met with laughter from reporters and photographers.
“I blew the thing up to see how far it would go,” he recalled, to which Backshall quipped:
“There is a slight air of the Teletubby about that, if you don’t mind me saying,” to the 77-year-old monarch‘s great amusement.
‘It’s all going so fast’
The pair continued to reflect sadly on the damage climate change has done to the beautiful Arctic landscape, which, in Backshall’s words: “is changing faster than anywhere else on earth.”
“If it carries on like this, all of this will be gone in a matter of decades,” the presenter warned heartbreakingly.
“That’s the tragedy there,” King Charles agreed. “That it’s all going so fast. I’m very glad I was able to see it and I just want others to be able to witness the same things.”
As the trailer was shared on social media, royal fans were full of praise for the King.
“I think people tend to forget he has been a man of action!” one person commented.
“Prince Charles was invested in the environment when no one else was,” said another.
A third also gushed: “Oh my gosh! Such a treat! I love our King so much! What a lifetime of adventure and work his legacy is!”
Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge will air on Thursday December 18 at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
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