For over 40 years, King Charles III has been burdened by a phrase that has made him the target of ridicule. It was in 1986, during a television interview, that he mentioned he enjoyed talking to his plants because it was important and they responded.
“I just come and talk to the plants, really—it’s very important to talk to them, they respond,” he said.
British newspapers had a great time laughing at the prince chatting with his garden. But that comment wasn’t a random slip. It was part of his philosophy of harmony with nature, a belief Charles has long held and which now has its own documentary on Amazon Prime.
Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision premieres on February 6th and is the first film to have its premiere at a royal residence, none other than Windsor Castle.
Narrated by Kate Winslet, the documentary chronicles decades of the king’s projects aimed at preserving ancient methods to sustain human society.
From Dumfries House, an 18th-century mansion on 2,000 acres where his foundation provides employment to communities devastated by the closure of coal mines, to sustainability projects in Guyana, India, and Afghanistan.
All to maintain the balance between humans and nature, which Charles believes was disrupted by the economic growth of the 20th century.
But there’s a hint of frustration in his words. When the director asks him if he is concerned about the state of the planet, Carlos answers with a “of course” and admits that this has been his motivation for a long time.
“It’s rapidly going backwards. I’ve been saying that for the last 40 years, but anyway, here we are.” So, that’s why I get a bit, anyway…” he says with a resigned tone. And he concludes with something that sounds almost defeatist, but is nonetheless realistic. “I can only do what I can, which isn’t much.”
In the end, Carlos concludes with something that is very much his style. “Maybe, by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness… of the need to bring things back together again.”
Nicolas Brown, the American director of the documentary, admitted that he didn’t fully grasp the depth of Carlos’s environmental commitment until he made this film.