Sir David Attenborough given a second knighthood
He's been knighted again for his TV and conservation work
Last updated 8th Jun 2022
National treasure Sir David Attenborough has been given another honour today, becoming a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael And St George.
The broadcaster was first knighted back in 1985 by the Queen, but this higher knighthood has been given to him for services to television broadcasting and to conservation.
Sir David has spent decades making documentaries about the natural world and has long campaigned to save the environment.
The Prince of Wales, himself a committed environmentalist, bestowed the honour on 96-year-old Sir David, at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Sir David featured in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations
The accolade comes after the beloved broadcaster featured in a segment of the Platinum Party at the Palace, the Platinum Jubilee concert held outside Buckingham Palace in London on Sunday, 4th June.
The Duke of Cambridge highlighted the efforts of “visionary environmentalists” during this section of the show, which saw a clip of Sir David projected on to Buckingham Palace.
William also spoke about the pride he felt for “my grandfather and my father”, the Duke of Edinburgh and Charles, who have championed the natural world.
Other honours being given today
Gary Lightbody, lead singer of rock band Snow Patrol, is also due collect his OBE for services to music and to charity in Northern Ireland.
Spy chief Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, is expected to receive his knighthood after he was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to foreign, Commonwealth and diplomatic services.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, is expected to be knighted for services to public health, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic while actor Toby Jones is due to collect his OBE for services to drama.
Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists, including curling captain Eve Muirhead, swimmer Hannah Russell, boccia player David Smith and cyclist Jaco van Gass are also set to be honoured.
David Attenborough through the years
Marriage
David Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel on 11 February 1950. Having graduated from Cambridge three years earlier, David was working in an educational publishing house at the time of the marriage. The couple were married for 47 years, until Jane's death in 1997 from a brain haemorrhage.
Family life
The couple had two children called Robert and Susan. Sir Attenborough has talked of his absence during their childhood due to work commitments. In an interview with Louis Theroux published in the Radio Times, he said: "If I do have regrets, it is that when my children were the same age as your children, I was away for three months at a time. If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it's irreplaceable; you miss something."
His first on screen appearence
Sir Attenborough joined the BBC in 1952 as a producer for non-fiction programmes. Prior to starting his traineeship, he did not own a television and had only ever seen one TV programme. However he quickly made his way on screen, becoming the presenter of Zoo Quest in 1954 by accident after filling in last minute as sick cover. The show filmed trips abroad to collect animals for London Zoo.
Controller of BBC Two
David Attenborough was appointed controller of BBC Two in March 1965. In the role, he oversaw the first ever colour broadcast in Europe. He also rejected Terry Wogan's job application to work on the channel, due to the fact they already had one Irish presenter.
Head of Programming at the BBC
In 1968 Sir Attenborough was appointed Head of Programming at the BBC. He was responsible for commissioning Monty Python's Flying Circus which went on to become a global phenomenon, credited with inspiring comedians around the world.
A return to programme making
During a press conference in November 1972, Sir Attenborough announced that he was stepping down as the Head of Programming in order to return to creating programmes himself. He became a freelance broadcaster, travelling to every continent in the world in order to create wildlife and nature series spanning many years.
The Life series collection
After standing down from his role, Sir Attenborough went back to creating programmes. Life on Earth was first released in 1979, which marked the beginning of the Life collection. The series was the first of its kind and saw Sir Attenborough travel the world offering insight into the wonders of the natural world. An estimated 500 million watched the programme worldwide. The collection of life series spans over 20 years.
The author of multiple books
He has written 29 books spanning from 1956 to 2020, focussing on wildlife and the environment.
A personal award from the Queen
In 2005, Sir Attenborough, who had received a knighthood in 1985 for services to broadcasting, was awarded the Insignia of the Order of Merit. This is a personal award from the Queen herself, recognising outstanding contribution to advancement of arts, learning, literature and science. Sir Attenborough received a second knighthood in 2020 at the age of 94.
32 honorary degrees
Sir Attenborough has received 32 honorary degrees from Universities across the UK.
RRS Sir David Attenborough
In 2016, a research vessel owned by the Natural Environment Research Council was named the RRS Sir David Attenborough after a public vote. The ship is not the only thing Sir Attenborough is namesake to- over 20 species and plants have been named after him, including a dragonfly called the Acisoma attenboroughi.
Multiple BAFTA wins
He is the only person to have won a BAFTA in black and white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K. He was also recognised with the fellowship award at the 1980 award ceremony.
World class narrator
Sir David Attenborough is a world class narrator, having voiced various wildlife and nature series, including Our Planet, which premiered in 2019.
Broadcaster turned activist
Nowadays Sir Attenborough is best known as both broadcaster and climate activist, and regularly speaks out on the issue of climate change. He has collaborated with fellow activists such as Greta Thunberg, and has presented at a range of high profile climate conferences, including the launch of the UN Campaign to Promote Climate Action by the People.
The Earthshot Prize
In 2020 Sir Attenborough joined forces with Prince William to launch the ÂŁ50 million Earthshot Prize, which aims to encourage people to find solutions to solve some of the world's biggest environmental issues.
Speaking at a session of the UN Security Council
Sir Attenborough speaks at many events on the matter of climate change, including a session of the UN Security Council on climate and security in February 2021, which was watched virtually by leaders including Boris Johnson.
Environmental activism
Recently, Attenborough has been a key figure in highlighting the climate crisis. His 'Seven Worlds, One Planet' showed how humans and animals across all continents are affected by global warming. At the COP 26 Climate Conference, Attenborough offered cautious hope to the audience - 'In my lifetime, I have seen a terrible decline. In yours, you could, and should, see a wonderful rebirth'.
David Attenborough receives another knighthood
The broadcaster was first knighted back in 1985 by the Queen, but in 2022 he became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael And St George. This higher knighthood has been given to him for services to television broadcasting and to conservation.
David Attenborough announced for Wild Isles
David Attenborough has been announced as the narrator on a new five-part series on the BBC, provisionally named Wild Isles.