King Charles has watched footage from 1975 of his trip to the Canadian Arctic, sharing a laugh with environmentalist Steve Backshall.
The video featured a young, 26-year-old Charles showing off his daring side by completing an ice dive in freezing sub-zero temperatures.
The then-prince displayed his sense of humour, taking the plunge while wearing a bowler hat.
The Royal Family posted the clip across their social media channels, stating: “In 1975, the King made a historic ice dive during a trip to the Canadian Arctic.
The King watched back footage from his 1975 trip to the Canadian Arctic | X / ROYALFAMILY / GETTY
“The formative visit was a true adventure in freezing temperatures, taking in dog sledding, learning about the local culture, and shaping His Majesty’s lifelong passion for the environment.”
Charles spent the trip learning about the local Inuit people’s culture and their dependence on the environment.
The King even tried raw seal liver when it was offered to him.
Mr Backshall’s programme will examine the accelerating impact of climate change on the Arctic, which is warming at three times the global rate.
The King shared a laugh while watching the footage
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Remembering the trip, the King said: “We had some laughs. I thought it’d be rather fun coming back up with the hat on, and I thought, a chance to fool around.”
The monarch shared that he humoured those in attendance by inflating his snowsuit with air.
Charles explained: “I blew the thing up to see how far the thing would go.”
The social media clip also showed the King saying his dive was “splendid”, adding: “It was very, very interesting indeed, I must say… bloody cold!”
The King watched the footage alongside Steve Backshall
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The King reflected on the trip as part of a new ITV show, which airs tonight at 8.30pm.
Charles is set to discuss the “devastating effects” of climate change during his appearance in the episode.
Discussing the project, Mr Backshall said in a statement: “To see the Arctic through the King’s eyes – then and now – was both inspiring and sobering.
“Standing where the King once stood, diving beneath the same Arctic ice he explored half a century ago, was humbling beyond words.
The King’s trip to the Canadian Arctic was some 50 years ago
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“His Majesty was raising the alarm for the natural world long before most of us realised how urgent that call would become.
“His commitment to protecting our planet runs through every fibre of this story.”
The King carried out his dive under the ice with physician and researcher Joe MacInnis.
Recalling the moment, Mr MacInnis said: “He stares at me as if I’ve gone mad. My heart sinks. Seconds later, his eyes crinkle, and the sound of muted laughter fills the space between us.
“The prince puts the hat on, reaches for the umbrella, holds it over his head and slowly ascends towards the dive hole. Trailing a stream of bubbles, he is Mary Poppins in the flying nanny scene.”
