King Charles’ public remark that has ‘haunted him for years’ revealed in new documentary

A comment King Charles made on television nearly four decades ago has followed him for most of his life, according to a new documentary that revisits his long-standing environmental mission.

The film, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, explores the monarch’s decades of advocacy for sustainability and nature, alongside the work of The King’s Foundation. Narrated by Kate Winslet, the documentary premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, February 6, and blends archive footage with present-day reflections from the King himself.

The remark that refused to fade

The documentary highlights how Charles, then Prince of Wales, struggled in the 1980s to have his environmental concerns taken seriously. While speaking to the press in a 1986 television interview about organic farming, he made an offhand comment that quickly became a source of mockery.

“I just come and talk to the plants, really. Very important to talk to them, they respond,” he said at the time.

As Kate Winslet explains in the film, that single sentence ended up haunting him for years. Media coverage following the interview was harsh, with newspapers portraying him as eccentric and out of touch. One headline shown in the documentary dismissed him as “completely off his trolley”.

Refusing to abandon his beliefs

Looking back now, King Charles reflects on that period with a sense of quiet resolve. Despite the ridicule, he chose not to retreat from his views or soften his message to make it more palatable.

“I just felt this was the course I’d set which I should stick to,” he says in the documentary. “I wasn’t going to be diverted, I’m afraid.”

The film makes clear that his commitment to environmental causes never wavered, even when public opinion had not yet caught up with ideas that are now widely accepted.

A lifelong concern for the planet

The documentary also shows Charles speaking candidly about his worries for the future of the Earth. Asked whether he feels anxious about the state of the planet, he answers without hesitation.

“Of course. That’s been my main motivation for a long, long time, and you can see what’s happening,” he says.

He goes on to explain that the concept he refers to as Harmony, living in balance with nature, remains central to his thinking. “I’ve said that for the last 40 years,” he adds, acknowledging that while his influence may be limited, his sense of responsibility has never faded.

For Charles, the comment that once made him a target of ridicule has become a reminder of how long he has been warning about issues the world is only now beginning to confront.