Sir David Attenborough‘s birthday was marked with a centenary celebration at London’s Royal Albert Hall last night (Friday 8th May) – with the occasion also being marked with a very special short film.

Entitled A Very Special Delivery and produced by BBC Studios, the short starts with His Majesty King Charles III making a surprise appearance as he pens Attenborough’s 100th birthday card.

In his segment of the video, His Majesty reflects on his decades-long friendship with Attenborough, recalling the very first time they met when the King was just nine years of age and visited the set of BBC children’s programme Zoo Quest in 1958 with his sister Princess Anne.

Complete with pictures of the time and their friendship over the years, the King remarks on Attenborough’s way of “revealing the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world in new and marvellous ways”.

“In so doing, you have shared my determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve this precious planet of ours – and all life on Earth for future generations,” he goes on to say.

You can watch the video for yourself below.

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We then see the letter get sent off via butler to an awaiting Land Rover but as the delivery process starts off smooth, a literal hurdle appears in the form of a fallen tree. Taking matters into its own hands, border collie sheepdog Flynn jumps out with the letter between his teeth and Take That’s Greatest Day playing in the background.

What then happens is a fitting homage to Attenborough as the natural world clubs together in order to ensure that the letter is safely delivered. With the help of eagles, a hedgehog, a red squirrel, a flock of geese, an otter, a swan, a duck, a fox, a deer and a barn owl, the letter is finally popped through Attenborough’s letter box.

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A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty was delighted to feature in this special tribute to a man who has shared his lifetime commitment to the natural world, and has followed each stage of the filming process with great interest. He was only sorry not to meet Lily the magical barn owl in person.

“Her Majesty was particularly touched that her mischievous Moley was invited to make a cameo appearance and was on hand with a ready selection of dog treats to help coax a willing performance on the day.

“The King and Queen send their warmest wishes to Sir David on his special night and hope he enjoys the resulting film as much as they enjoyed making it.”

Jack Bootle, the BBC’s Head of Specialist Factual added: “Sir David has spent a lifetime championing the natural world, so it seemed fitting that the natural world should do something to say ‘thank you’ in this unique birthday tribute. Warm, playful and full of affection, A Very Special Delivery celebrates not only David’s centenary, but also the deep love of wildlife that he shares with His Majesty The King.”

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