King Charles's hope for the world by the time of his death

King Charles III attends Sunday service at St Peter's Church, Wolferton on the Sandringham Estate on January 25, 2026

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

We see King Charles in a seriously reflective frame of mind in Amazon Prime’s new documentary, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision and he even went as far as to reveal his hopes for the future beyond his own life-time. It’s rare that we see a monarch addressing their own passing, but the King shared how he wants to see a shift in the public’s approach by then.

"Maybe by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil there might be a little bit more awareness of the need to bring things back together again," he said.

The documentary focuses on his efforts and the work of The King’s Foundation to try and restore a sense of harmony - bringing nature back into every part of our lives. His Majesty was entirely open about his concerns for our "poor old planet" and how he alone can’t save it.

A post shared by The King’s Foundation (@kingsfoundation)
A photo posted by on

Asked if he’s worried about the state of the world, King Charles affirmed that this has been his "main motivation for a long, long time" and we can see what’s happened.

"I mean, the underlying principles behind what I call harmony, I think we need to follow if we’re going to - somehow - ensure that this poor old planet can support so many," he added.

We’re used to seeing the King standing confidently giving speeches and chatting at engagements, but it was a very much more troubled monarch who remarked upon global warming and the state of our planet right now.

He wasn’t afraid to show how deeply this huge issue is playing on his mind as he said sadly, "It’s rapidly going backwards. I’ve said that for the last 40 years but there we are. Still, that’s where I get a bit… you know…anyway, I can only do what I can do, which is not very much."

A post shared by Prime Video UK & IE (@primevideouk)
A photo posted by on

Whilst climate change is a major global issue, what really gets him is how people "don’t seem to understand" that biodiversity loss is an equally big problem.

His Majesty continued, "We’re actually destroying our means of survival all the time, so to put that back together again *is* possible but we should have been doing it long ago. We’ve got to do it as fast as we can now."

King Charles’s outspokenness about climate change and biodiversity was previously ridiculed and his work to restore soil fertility at Highgrove House dismissed as "bonkers". Nevertheless he stuck to his principles and there has been a gradual change in peoples’ outlook over the years.

He clearly remains hopeful that by the time he passes away this will have increased and there will be "more awareness" of what needs to be done. If restoring a state of "harmony" is his legacy, this seems to be something King Charles would be happy with.

King Charles sitting in his garden at Highgrove, Gloucestershire in 1986

The monarch has previously detailed his fear of our children and grandchildren looking back at a "series of broken promises" and described sustainability as a "choice". Practicing what he preaches, in 2007, His Majesty - as documentary narrator Kate Winslet put it - "gambled his reputation on a dream larger and more complex than Highgrove".

He led a consortium that bought Dumfries House with the plan on healing the land and bringing harmony to the local community as well.

"I felt it was critical to try and demonstrate how you could regenerate an entire area. How we could help raise aspirations and create new hope by bringing people together in a thoroughly integrated, collaborative way," King Charles said. "This area is a great example of how you can create new businesses and jobs with a green economy."

Finding Harmony: A King's Vision is available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video

TOPICS

Emma is a Royal Editor with nine years of experience in publishing. She specialises in writing about the British Royal Family, covering everything from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her extensive royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.