Celebrating Sir David Attenborough's 98th birthday

Happy 98th birthday Sir David Attenborough! 

To celebrate this incredible milestone, we're taking a moment to look back on some of our favourite moments from the legendary TV host and conservationist's remarkable career. 

Some of our favourite David Attenborough moments:

1. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis quiz Sir David Attenborough with nature questions

In an adorable video shared by Kensington Palace, filmed by Prince William and Kate Middleton in the garden at Kensington Palace in 2020, the three children can each be heard asking the veteran broadcaster, then 94, a question.

Prince George is first up, asking Sir David about extinction. "Hello David Attenborough," he says to the camera. "What animal do you think will become extinct next?"

Princess Charlotte follows her elder brother, saying, "Hello David Attenborough. I like spiders. Do you like spiders too?"

Finally, we come to the cutest moment of the clip, with Louis asking, "What animal do you like?"

2. David Attenborough encounters a family of mountain gorillas

This has to be one of the most memorable and wonderful clips of Sir David and has been voted as one of the top TV moments of all time.

It shows him delivering a word-perfect ad-lib as he finds himself in an unplanned close encounter with this group of mountain gorillas. 

At the end of the clip, with one young gorilla lying across his body, just at the edge of the video you can see the baby gorillas busy removing the presenter's shoes.

3. Meeting the Queen – The Queen’s Green Planet

In 2018 the BBC made a documentary, The Queen’s Green Planet, about the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a scheme to create a global network of protected forests in each of the 53 Commonwealth countries.

This footage here, of the late monarch and Sir David strolling around Buckingham Palace gardens looking at the trees, is quietly moving. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough were born only 17 days apart in 1926.

4. Christmas Island Crabs – The Trials of Life

One of the job requirements for being a nature TV presenter is that you must not be freaked out by animals. That’s fine when you’re handling a baby orangutan or a cuddly sloth, but less straightforward when you are on a beach that is swarming with tens of millions of crabs...

In this clip, Sir David appears entirely unfazed by the fact that he is about to be devoured alive by the sheer weight of numbers of these crabs, and continues calmly speaking to the camera even as one starts to walk up his leg.

 We love you Sir David! Happy Birthday.