Buckingham Palace releases 21-year-old King Charles video clip with powerful message

Buckingham Palace has shared young King Charles footage featuring the powerful message.

The clip from 1970 shows a 21-year-old then-Prince Charles delivering a speech in Cardiff regarding environmental pollution.

The footage is taken from the documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, which tracks the King’s lifelong commitment to environmentalism and his work with The King’s Foundation.

The statement reads, “In this clip from 'Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision,' a 21-year-old Prince of Wales speaks out about pollution at a time when few in public life were willing to do so.”

In the speech, the young Prince warned of the “horrifying effects of pollution” specifically stating oil pollution at sea and industrial chemical discharge into rivers.

King Charles said, "We are faced at the moment with the horrifying effects of pollution in all its cancerous forms.”

"There is the growing menace of oil pollution at sea. There is chemical pollution discharged into rivers from factories and chemical plants, which clogs up the river with toxic substances and adds to the filth in the seas."

After ascending to the throne in 2022, the speculations grow that his climate and environmental related work might wane. Despite the speculations, King remains active in environmental advocacy as he recently hosted a major summit on “super pollutants” at St James's Palace attended by global leaders and officials.