Prince Charles at 70

♪♪ -As he turns 70, Prince Charles shows no sign of slowing down.

-Uninteresting today, is it?

Bad luck.

-His life at home and at work over the past 50 years has made him unique among princes of Wales in the whole of British history.

-When my mama succeeded and became queen when my grandfather died so young, age 57, I ended up becoming heir to the throne aged 4.

-Correct me if I'm wrong, but his sole job was to sit quietly and wait.

I don't know whether this bit will get cut or not, but it's -- He was one of the first people in the family to end up making the most of that role, of that position.

-You have to make of it what you feel is right.

So there's nothing laid down.

That's what makes it so interesting, challenging, and, of course, complicated.

-His life's work has been dominated by three particular passions -- caring for the environment, preserving our heritage, and giving young people fresh opportunities.

-I do hope it helps the old self-confidence and things like that.

And then you can do endless things after that.

-Yeah.

-'Cause we aim to produce oven-ready apprentices at the end of it.

-He's the most charitable Prince of Wales there probably ever has been, and he's made the next generation care more and be more involved in charity.

-He's also a man born and bred into centuries of tradition which underpin his position in public life.

-I think duty will always come first with him -- duty to the monarch, duty to the country, duty to the Commonwealth.

-The past year has been one of transition as he increasingly supports the Queen as son and heir.

Our cameras have been behind the scenes with a man still speaking out on some of the major issues of our time.

-Some people have accused you of meddling.

-Really?

You don't say.

But I always wonder what meddling is.

I mean, I always thought it was motivating.

-As heir, the Prince has set his own style, but when the time comes, what kind of king will he be?

♪♪ -In the spring, there was a special garden party at Buckingham Palace.

It was for the Prince's 70th birthday, six months away from the actual date -- very royal.

It was only a few days after his younger son's wedding.

The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex had remained in London so the Duke could pay public tribute to his father's work.

But he was finding it rather warm.

-Very warm, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Outside, as well.

-It's even -- This building.

I don't know why.

They never open the windows until I come.

-The very last room.

-They are.

-I wonder what I do with these when I give my speech.

Do I just -- -I can hold them for you.

-More than 400 organizations were invited, some of them founded by the Prince of Wales.

-I don't know how I'm going to get 'round 600, 500 people.

-That's not the plan.

Do as many as you can.

-We like taking off our shoes.

-Pa, I was struck by the range and diversity of the work which you are involved with.

-It got so bad for me, and then I found the Prince's Trust.

They built my confidence.

-Climate change 20 years ago, 25 years ago was quirky, whereas today, it's mainstream.

-His passion and dedication are remarkable, whether that is to improve the lives of those who are on the wrong path or to protect a particular species under threat.

-He's incredibly enthusiastic about trying to look after the welfare of British bees.

-Which William and I draw inspiration from every day.

To save an -- Sorry.

That bee really got me.

[ Laughter, applause ] -We come across people sometimes who are worried about the idea of him becoming king.

-I think it's a wonderful thing.

I mean, looking at what he supports.

I mean, he's looking out for the planet.

He's looking out for charities, young people.

I mean, I haven't faulted him.

I think people like to poke at people that are trying to change things.

-He may have to tone down some of the advice that he gives to us, but I'm sure he'd make an excellent king.

-The new Duke and Duchess could now leave for their honeymoon.

-See you soon.

-Only three days earlier, their wedding had been perhaps the biggest family moment in the Prince's year but one of the most public moments, too.

A late change in plans at Windsor meant Prince Charles stepped in to accompany his future daughter-in-law up the aisle of St. George's Chapel.

-I asked him to, and I think he knew it was coming, and he immediately said, "Yes, of course.

I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here -- I'm here to support you guys."

For him, that's a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support.

And, you know, he's our father, so of course he's gonna be there for us.

-When Prince Harry turned 'round and said, "Thank you, Pa." -I think that was very touching.

Sitting where I was, you couldn't hear what he said.

But afterwards, watching it on the television, I think it was a very -- it was a lovely gesture.

-I've been brought up well.

I mean, you got to say thank you.

Just because he's my father, that doesn't mean I can just sort of go, "Okay, that's all.

I'll take it from here."

No, that is what I wanted to say.

But, yeah, and I was very grateful for him to be able to do that.

-A lot of people seeing my husband actually take the bride's mother by the hand to sign the registry, it's something that moved everybody.

It's the things he does behind the scenes that people don't know about.

I don't think people realize quite how kind he is.

-At Clarence House, the Prince's London home, it is sometimes hard to juggle family commitments 'round his official engagements.

-It's fitting everything in.

-The private secretary and the equerry regularly sit down to thrash out his schedule in the months ahead.

-There's always a solution.

We just haven't found it yet.

Good afternoon, Your Highness.

Good afternoon.

-Harry, Clive.

Now, yet another one of these things.

-I'm afraid so, sir.

-Oh, dear.

Oh, dear.

Tea?

-Mm-hmm.

-Good Lord.

-Keep you awake.

-Things are looking up, sir.

-[ Chuckles ] It must be Wednesday.

-On this occasion, they were planning a visit to Australia, where he was to represent the Queen at the opening of the Commonwealth Games shortly before the Commonwealth Summit in London.

-And then flying to Australia.

-On Easter Sunday?

-On Easter Sunday, sir.

-Do they fly on Easter?

-They do.

They do.

-Yes.

-Right, and then I did say to Peter, can I have my day Sunday when I arrive.

I simply can't anymore.

-Quite right, sir.

Quite right.

-Just without one moment to climatize.

-Completely.

-When do I come back, roughly?

-But then we've got to head back, sir, because then we're heading towards the opening of the summit is the problem.

-Oh, gracious me.

-You've got four or five days.

-I'm terribly keen to do things around the Great Barrier Reef.

-Absolutely.

-That tussle between the Prince's official engagements and extra visits he likes to squeeze in is a regular feature of these diary meetings.

-How do you actually marry those two aspects of your work?

-I don't see any difference at all.

If it's one -- I mean, it's all part of what I consider to be my duty.

♪♪ -Now that the Queen has stopped taking long-haul flights, the Prince arrived in Australia to open the Commonwealth Games in her place.

That's why it was the monarch's standard on display, not his own.

-I've been asked by the Queen to represent Her Majesty.

It now gives me the greatest pleasure to declare the 21st Commonwealth Games open.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Fireworks exploding ] -As he'd wanted, the Prince did squeeze in a visit to the Great Barrier Reef.

He flew into Lady Elliot Island at the southern end, where the reef is in better shape than in the warmer waters further north.

Coral reefs have been a major part of his long-running campaign on climate change.

-We must understand the vital importance of all these remarkable natural ecosystems.

They are our life-support system.

-Do you think we've begun to turn the corner now?

-Not yet, have we, on climate change.

We're running out of time because the necessary action hasn't been taken, has it?

That's the problem.

And I cannot believe that people can simply pay no attention to science.

They accept it in every other aspect of modern existence, the evidence, but apparently not for climate change.

-You know how frustrated he gets when we're sitting down at dinner, and we sit there and speak to him.

And he gets so frustrated.

You can understand why he gets frustrated, because when you've been banging the drum for this long and still no one listens, when you care that much.

Was it too soon?

-Yeah, I think probably was, but I think it's a negative message, effectively, that we've got to change and we've got to adapt and that there's a big problem coming, and I think people don't like to hear that.

-We are faced at this moment with the horrifying effects of pollution.

-Prince Charles has been rereading some of his early speeches about issues close to his heart.

As in many cases, there are no original recordings.

His sons, at their own initiative, wanted to hear what he'd been saying long before they were born.

-Discharged into rivers from factories... -This was in the '70s, wasn't it?

-1970.

-1970.

-Adds to the filth in the seas.

-That's amazing.

-Waste is yet another problem, and there are 55 million of us on this island.

Using non-returnable bottles... -Look how young he is.

-...and indestructible plastic containers, it is not difficult to imagine the mountains of refuse that we shall have to deal with somehow.

-Very enthusiastic clapping by the person next to him.

Well done.

-The plastics, that comes out, doesn't it?

Like now, it's a huge -- a huge topic, and he was saying that back in 1970, you know, by our sort of throw-away culture.

-When did you become aware of the causes that he was championing?

You know what it's like when you're a teenager.

You don't necessarily take a great deal of notice of the things that your father is going on about.

-Usually the opposite.

-He's done an amazing job, and without telling us what we should be doing or the direction that we should go in, he's just let us learn from -- from the nature of the job, learn from him, learn from Mummy, to the point where I used to get taken the mickey out of at school for just picking up rubbish.

I didn't go out consciously looking for it.

You probably did that, as well.

When you go for walks anywhere, if you see something that stands out, you pick it out.

And before you know it, somebody, "What are you doing?

Where you gonna put that?"

It's like, well, I've literally done this because I am -- I am programmed to do it because -- because my father did it.

And, actually, you know, we should all be doing it.

-He took us litter picking when we were younger on holiday.

You know, we were in Norfolk on school holidays.

We went out litter picking with him.

Again, both of us thought, "This is perfectly normal.

Everyone must do it."

You know, we're there with our, basically, spikes stabbing the rubbish... -Teenagers.

-...into black plastic bags.

-He's a stickler for turning lights off.

And that's now something that I'm obsessed with, as well.

-I've got serious OCD on light switches now -- terrible.

-Which is -- Which is insane, because, actually, you know -- I don't know whether your wife does it.

My wife certainly goes, "Well, why turn the lights off?

It's dark."

I say, "We only need one light.

We don't need, like, six."

And all of a sudden, it becomes a habit.

And those small habit changes he's making every single person can do.

And I think that is one of the key lessons that he -- certainly that I felt that he taught us.

-Your children always surprise you.

You think they pull your leg all the time and appear not to pay any attention at all.

In fact, you then later discover perhaps they -- "Good Lord, don't tell me you actually listened."

You never quite know what's happening.

But very often, I can discover a little bit through their friends who tell me, you know, some of these things they'd never, ever admit themselves.

-He does live the way that he advocates.

And until someone comes up with an electric plane -- It's impossible to get 'round the world, for instance, without using a plane that's there.

So, you know, he did -- he did take to heart the criticism quite a lot when he was younger.

-No electric plane just yet, but he made a start with the car in which Prince William and his bride went for a spin after their wedding.

It was Prince Charles' Aston Martin Volante, which he'd had since he was 21.

He got the makers to find a more sustainable fuel than petrol.

-They discovered they could run it on surplus English white wine.

But also, I hadn't realized that they mixed whey into it.

The engineers had asked us, "Oh, it'll ruin the whole thing."

And I said, "Well, I won't drive it, then."

So they got on with it, and now they admit that it runs better and is more powerful on that fuel than it is on petrol.

And also, it smells delicious as you're driving along.

[ Laughs ] -Even the Royal Train, which the Prince uses seven or eight times a year, has not escaped his eco-enthusiasm.

-Took me a long time to battle to get them to run it on used cooking oil.

Which actually in the end worked quite well, but I don't know.

They say it clogs up the engine or something.

-Combating cars and trains is one thing.

Reviving a dilapidated Scottish mansion and the community living alongside it is quite another.

In 2007, the Prince's charities raised some eyebrows by taking out a £20 million loan to help save Dumfries House and its priceless collection of Chippendale furniture.

But what began as a restoration exercise has become a project to revitalize the local economy.

The house came with a 2,000-acre estate, which now offers training and job opportunities in an area of high unemployment, with free facilities for local people.

[ Upbeat music playing ] -This is marvelous.

I can't get over how loud it all is.

-It is.

I know it.

-It's very unfair on them all to have the music stop.

[ Laughs ] That's rather a good one, that one, isn't it?

-We can't entice you to -- -No, absolutely not, no.

One of the things I discovered about the locality were all the different issues that they faced.

And one of them was health issues -- heart disease, obesity, diabetes, you name it, every kind of thing.

So we have a women's health clinic.

And they will be able to do this and walking 'round the estate.

The whole thing is a more integrated approach.

-Do they have to pay to come here?

-No, no, no, it's all subsidized.

So, how long do you spend on this?

-45 minutes, just nonstop.

-Do you have to turn it up a bit?

-Yeah, that's about four.

Make it harder.

Turn it 'round.

-The problem is not to undo all the good by going off and -- -Oh, no, no.

-A lot of new buildings on the Dumfries House Estate.

Have you been involved in the design to some extent?

-Oh, yes.

Nothing passes here without my -- It's the detail that matters.

-Dumfries House is now the headquarters for his Heritage-based charities, which are grouped together as the Prince's Foundation.

The craft apprenticeships on offer owe much to the philosophy behind his Prince's Trust for Young People.

These stonemasons are reconstructing an old well in the grounds.

There are also courses in engineering and catering for the people of East Ayrshire.

-A huge number of people 'round here are three generations unemployed.

So we now employ whatever it is, 200-something, 300 people here, directly or indirectly.

And that's meant that we're now the second-largest employer in the area after the council.

-Really?

-Yes, can you believe it?

So, from that point of view, it's already contributing quite a lot.

But there's more I want to do.

-The Prince's Foundation has helped to rebuild the Open Air Swimming Pool in the town center, which now draws people from miles away.

-The poor old thing was in a bit of a state.

It was very dilapidated but much loved by all the local community.

It had had some enormous sort of hole in the bottom, which would have sucked people down.

I mean, it was quite extraordinary.

Anyway, we redid it all again, along with the town hall, which was all boarded up, and the council were gonna knock it down.

So, we persuaded them to work with us.

So the money that would have gone to knock it down, something like £650,000, went towards restoring it, which we matched and plus.

So now the town hall is used all the time by endless groups of local people and everything else.

So the combination of this and that hopefully will give New Cumnock a heart again.

-Back at Dumfries House, the farm is a haven for another aspect of Heritage -- rare breeds.

-We wanted to have an education farm to try and see if we could make the most of reconnecting people to where their food comes from.

I love these turkeys.

They make me laugh so much.

[ Turkeys gobbling ] Gobble, gobble, gobble.

[ Laughs ] -What sort of turkeys are these?

-Crollwitzer.

Are they Crollwitzer?

Yeah.

Gobble, gobble, gobble.

They are so funny.

He's got the Tamworth pigs, those marvelous orange characters.

Hello, Hora.

[ Laughs ] [ Pig grunts ] Look, look, look, look, look!

There!

There!

There!

That's right.

I think these are the Scots Dumpies.

-Why is it that these breeds become so rare?

-They're not as productive, I suppose, but the actual breed itself can be valuable in terms of how it's adapted to certain conditions or environments or whatever.

And I don't know.

I just think it's right that we should keep these gene pools going, you know.

Hello.

-The grounds are now open every day of the year, free for people to come and go, walk their dogs.

Unlike before, there are no gates or barriers, and people sometimes bump into the Prince on one of his regular strolls to inspect progress.

-Do you feel the way that you've established the role of Prince of Wales has created a template for the future?

-I doubt it.

I mean, you know, my oldest son, William, may want to do it differently, slightly.

I mean, the whole point is it has this flexibility about it.

-There are so many things I admire about my father.

His work ethic, his passions, all that sort of side of things are absolutely crucial to how he's been such a successful Prince of Wales and an amazing father.

But I want to be a person -- I want to be my own man and take my own style, my own, you know, passions, my own interests, my way, and do things slightly differently.

I think it's important each generation does things a little bit differently than the previous.

♪♪ -One royal obligation that won't change is to give support to people caught up in natural disasters.

A year ago, two severe hurricanes caused havoc across the Caribbean.

On Dominica, barely any buildings escaped.

Some of its main industries were destroyed.

-Oh, dear.

-The Prince believes the greater strength of hurricanes is caused by climate change.

-Fly here from Britain.

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -Well, I know.

No worries.

I know, I know.

We were talking about it earlier.

-All right.

-It's very good to see you.

-Yeah.

-Hello, sir.

Good afternoon.

-Very nice to meet you.

How are you?

-How are you?

-Well, I'm still all right, but I'm much more worried about you.

-You look very young.

-[ Laughs ] -Very young.

-You say the nicest things.

And the river normally goes down the back, doesn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So it just broke -- -Yeah, it just broke right and took... -The island's prime minister was just back from a climate change conference in Germany.

He sat down with the Prince and the British Minister for International Development, who'd been in office for less than a fortnight.

-So we're very grateful for your visit here.

You know we have been following your commitments to the rainforest.

You have been very, very clear voice in what is written on climate change.

And who can be the better person to be such a -- -[ Speaks indistinctly ] -A true advocate.

-I've been discovering just how terrifying the whole experience has been, being through such utter hell that, if I may compliment you on your remarkable speech in Bahn, which is long overdue, I think, in being said just how much you are on the front line, as you said, of the war against climate change, how to tackle it.

I-I hope, perhaps, that the Secretary of State at some point can let you know a little bit more of her things.

She's only done 12 days.

-11.

11 days.

-Later, the Prince saw the replanting in progress on an island renowned in the region for its fruit and vegetables.

He certainly found a welcome from this women's farming cooperative.

-[ Laughs ] [ Conch shell blowing ] -I'm wondering whether terracing the hillside might help in the event of all the flooding.

Well, of course, I've seen it work somewhat in other countries with steep, steep slopes.

-Yes.

-'Cause it slows the descent.

-Yes, of water.

-I'm gonna fall down, I know it.

I haven't got the right shoes on.

Is this the women's cooperative?

I've been hearing about all this farming.

I'm very impressed, and proper organic farmers, too.

Marvelous.

Fantastic.

-81.

-81?

She's amazing, and she's still got her marvelous back.

Mine's not very good.

How are your houses?

Are you gradually getting back together again?

-We will, we will, we will, we will, we will.

-We try.

-We will, we will.

-Welcome to the Nature Isle.

-I know.

But do you think all these trees will grow again?

-It will grow.

-Plant some more trees.

-Come again, you will see.

-It will.

-If I'm still alive.

-You will, you will, you will.

-God willing.

-God is in control.

-Would you like to have a conch blow?

[ Conch shell blows ] -Ah, you see.

-Sir, I am happy you are here.

I'm very happy.

Thank you very much.

-Take care.

Take care.

[ Laughs ] [ Speaks indistinctly ] I've always wondered how you blow a conch shell.

-What's most struck you about your visit here?

-Well, I think the sheer, obviously, utter devastation of these unprecedentedly ferocious hurricanes.

I just pray people will finally begin to understand before it's literally too late that this is what climate change does.

But the other thing that struck me so forcibly was the way in which people are so resilient.

It's incredible when you think that in Dominica two years ago, they had, you know, Tropical Storm Erika, which was bad enough.

These people are astonishing what they're putting up with.

-Six months later, the Prince flew to the remote Pacific island of Vanuatu.

This was where the Commonwealth Summit was going to be held until a tropical cyclone forced its transfer to London.

The rebuilt crafts market in the capital, Port Vila, was too good an opportunity to miss.

-Coconut jam.

Am I allowed to buy one or two things?

-You are allowed, sir.

-Am I?

Could I -- Could I buy that one?

-Which one is that, sir?

-That one.

-That bag?

-Yes.

-Of course, sir.

-The only difficulty was finding the right amount of local currency, so in the background, his protection officer and private secretary had to leap into action on his behalf.

-Charming, charming.

That is lovely, that, isn't it?

Oh, dear.

-They are wicker baskets.

-Wonderful.

-Made by locals.

-Are they really?

Fantastic.

-You can use it as a wastebasket.

-Yes, you can, can you?

It's just wonderful, that, isn't it?

Can I -- Can I buy one of these?

Could I buy it?

-Yeah.

-Very kind.

-[ Speaks indistinctly ] -I'm trying to help contribute towards the local economy in Vanuatu.

-Thank you so much.

-They'd be very nice presents.

-Once again, his officials try to rustle up the readies.

-Yes.

-Second time 'round, it seemed more of a challenge.

-Okay, we can do this now.

-Okay.

-So, four.

One, two, three, four.

Is that right?

-15,000, yeah.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I didn't expect anything.

I am so happy.

And I was so excited to shake his hand, as well.

I'm so happy.

-I'm wondering whether to buy a pig or not.

They're rather nice.

Children always love those, don't they, pigs?

James, I may have to take these back for the children.

-Okay, sir.

-Could I buy two of those?

[ Laughs ] Hello, hello.

[ Crowd cheering ] I'm stopping -- [ Laughs ] What about all these people who wanted to go shopping?

Could I buy that one?

-You want that one?

-Yes, please.

-Thank you so much.

-That's really kind.

I'm sure there are lots of other things down there I missed.

[ Indistinct talking ] Do be careful.

Don't fall off the top.

[ Singing in native language ] -With his shopping completed, it was time for the formalities.

He was to be proclaimed a high chief, an almost regal honor in a Commonwealth republic.

But many of the islanders revere the British royal family.

-Did they all agree about making me a chief?

[ Horn blowing ] -I'm addressing the Kastom... Dominica, Royal Highness.

On behalf of the people of Vanuatu, I may give him one...title.

-Mal Menaringmanu.

-Your name as the high chief is Mal Menaringmanu.

High chief.

[ Applause ] [ Singing in native language ] -I mean, tradition's pointless if it isn't a living tradition, and I think a lot of people respond to it.

[ Singing continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -The new chief, previously known as "nambawan pikinini bilong misis kwin," took to the stage.

[ Crowd cheering ] -[ Speaking foreign language ] Vanuatu, you number one!

[ Cheers and applause ] -In London 10 days later, the Commonwealth as a whole was due to decide who would succeed the Queen as its head.

It's not a hereditary position, and for years, it had been unclear whether it would fall to the Prince of Wales.

At Buckingham Palace, they pulled out all the stops, with every leader and almost the whole royal family on parade.

The Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Countess of Wessex.

-President of the Republic of Botswana.

-The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry.

-Prime Minister of New Zealand.

-Princess Alexandra, Prince and Princess Michael, and the Duke of Kent.

-The president of the Republic of... -All there to hang on the Head of the Commonwealth's every word.

[ Indistinct talking ] -The president of the Republic of South Africa.

-I had a very jolly time with Mr. Modi yesterday.

-Oh, did you?

-At the science museum.

-Oh, yes, he told me you'd been to it, yes.

-They've got this exhibition.

-The Prime Minister of the Republic of India.

-Did he speak English, too?

-Yes, absolutely.

-He did?

-But even the most impressive choreography can unravel.

-The Prime Minister of Dominica.

-The Queen and the Prince of Wales were caught in a traffic jam in their own palace.

-I can't see.

They obviously haven't gone in yet.

-No, they're all waiting.

-The Prime Minister of Canada.

[ Indistinct talking ] -'Cause they're not ready.

-Have the others gone?

-The Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon.

-Does Frogmore look quite good?

-I don't know.

I haven't been in it for ages.

-I'm longing to see the new plant.

You know, what they've done.

-Very little.

-Is it very little?

-Terribly little.

-The President of the Republic of Cyprus.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ The Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu.

[ Applause ] The Prime Minister of Jamaica.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

[ Applause ] -Finally, with every Commonwealth leader in place, the way was clear for the royal family to arrive for Her Majesty's big announcement.

-It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will decide that one day, the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949.

-He's incredibly passionate, and he wants that responsibility.

The amount of knowledge that he has, there isn't anyone better.

-The leaders unanimously confirmed the Prince of Wales as the next Head of the Commonwealth.

The role is symbolic, with no job description, no constitutional constraints.

Once again, it'll be for him to decide what he makes of it.

-He wants that chance to help.

Any single member of the Commonwealth, I believe, would be incredibly lucky to have him.

♪♪ ♪♪ -This November, as last, the Prince of Wales will take the Queen's place at The Cenotaph, another sign of transition.

It's an occasion with special resonance, as it will be 100 years to the minute since the guns fell silent on the Western Front and 'round the world.

♪♪ The Prince himself served as a young man in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, an expression of the bond between the Crown and the Armed Forces.

♪♪ This scene with a serviceman's salute reveals more than any other what the next reign will look like.

♪♪ After the national commemoration at The Cenotaph, there's a smaller ritual away from the public gaze.

He's there not as the next monarch, but as Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards.

-♪ I vow to thee, my country ♪ ♪ All earthly things above ♪ -From the Guards' Chapel, serving and retired officers marched to the Guards Memorial in civilian dress of another era -- eccentric, perhaps, but touching, too, with a peculiarly British dignity.

-♪ ...question ♪ ♪ The love that stands the test ♪ ♪ Her fortress is a faithful heart ♪ -There's always been a very strong relationship between the Crown and the Armed Forces, and I suppose you would say that the Armed Forces are our ultimate insurance policy.

-♪ ...bounds increase ♪ ♪ And her ways are ways of gentleness ♪ ♪ And all her paths are peace ♪ -Do you feel his own time in the military has shaped him?

-No, I'd say it hasn't.

I wouldn't say it shaped him.

I'd say it's helped him form his opinions and his -- again, his personal discipline and things like that.

But I wouldn't say it shaped him, as such.

I'd say his shape comes from his passions, from his conservation work and his climate change.

He found alternative areas more appealing.

-He could have ended up having a very sheltered life had he not spent that time in the military, being with real people and living those fantastic experiences and actually fending for yourself, eating jam sandwiches, living in pretty harsh conditions, all of that stuff that I think is pretty crucial.

-It was no accident that the first thing he did after leaving the forces was to set up the Prince's Trust.

In 42 years now, it's helped more than 900,000 young people find new opportunities, like this rural skills course in the Brecon Beacons with the prospect of three-month apprenticeships to follow.

-So now you're first week, second week?

-First.

-Yeah, first week, yeah.

-One of the things I'm most proud about my father is Prince's Trust.

I think what he set up there for young people has been absolutely incredible.

And the amount of people -- I go around the country -- who tell me about the Prince's Trust, I mean, honestly, it's phenomenal.

It really is.

I'm so proud the amount of people he's helped.

-You're very good at it now.

-My lords, I would like to concentrate on... -The year before he set up the Prince's Trust, he spoke in the House of Lords and showed the way his mind was working.

-That involves younger people.

As adolescents, most people need adventure, excitement... -No way.

-...and a challenge of one sort or another.

-He was already on top of some of the key issues that are still a problem today.

He picked them out very early on.

-The more alienated sections of young people.

In those days, I mean, the Home Office didn't think it was at all a good idea.

So it was quite difficult to get it off the ground.

I kept saying, "I want to be able to take risks," so that if it didn't work, it didn't work.

But it was worth trying with the most difficult ones, the ones you find are hardest to reach in society.

-Hello.

Nice to meet you, sir.

-How are you?

-I'd just like to say, I believe in what you're doing, and I'd like to pray for you a minute.

Is that all right?

-Mm-hmm.

-Okay, so thank you, God, for -- for what Prince Charles is doing for young people in this world and giving people a chance.

And thank you for guiding him in any way that you can with giving more people any chances.

Thank you, sir.

-You're very kind.

Well done.

Fantastic.

Are you doing the same thing?

-Yes.

Yes.

-Hello, Your Highness.

This scheme is just so great for us.

-I'm so glad.

Terrific.

-Yeah.

-And then you can see which sort of skill you might take an interest in.

'Cause they need people to do stone walling, don't they, and goodness knows what.

Hedge-laying?

-There's a demand, sir.

-That's very good value, that.

I do that -- very badly.

-He's got a big heart in terms of wanting people to follow and understand what he's doing and that he isn't just a -- you know, a big voice standing up and rattling the drum the whole time.

There is actual, genuine substance behind what he's talking about.

-Takes his policeman hedge-laying.

-Yep, loves a good hedge-laying.

-Some of them come back covered in blood because at some point, something that he's been cutting has flung up and sort of -- Probably the Met are gonna go crazy at this, like, "Health and safety."

But he's there.

He's got his gloves.

He's got his goggles.

He's got all the right kit.

Don't worry.

And whichever policeman's on duty at the time, you know, puts in the sledgehammer, puts in the ax in the boot of the car, off they go.

-They come back looking like they had a fight.

-Yeah, they spend two hours wrestling with bushes to try and lay a hedge because he hates fences.

And again, that's full credit to him and his policeman.

-We did a chainsaw course.

-Yeah.

-Which was scary.

-Interesting.

-Very scary.

[ Laughs ] I'm looking into the trains and trams with the Prince's Trust.

-With Network Rail?

-Yeah, so I'm looking into that to see if that would be a good thing for me to do.

-That's why I'm late, because the train was late.

So if you do, you better make sure -- -I'll sort them out.

Don't worry.

-Do be careful.

It'll go straight in my eye.

-Through his apparent talent for working the crowd, as well as his ease in giving short, off-the-cuff speeches, the heir to the throne gives us another glimpse of the style of the future king.

-You could always blame me if the tutor says you haven't done well enough this week.

[ Laughter ] Morning.

How are you?

So, I'm sure you all ought to be somewhere else.

Are you all -- What are you all doing?

You're not all theological students, are you?

-No, I'm doing philosophy, which is only slightly worse.

-Is it?

How many essays do you have to write?

One a week?

None?

You're very lucky.

Good Lord.

I had three a week when I was at Cambridge.

It was hell in those days.

Are you all meant to be in a lecture somewhere?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-Thank God I got my uses, you see.

Are you all from China?

-Taiwan.

-Taiwan?

Did you all learn English before -- -Yeah.

-Brilliant.

My Mandarin is very bad.

[ Laughter ] Are you looking after this lot, are you?

How are you, sir?

-Nice to meet you.

-You add a certain amount of sunshine to the day, if I may say so, dressed like that.

♪♪ ♪♪ Is there something there?

There it is.

I thought there was nothing there.

I thought it was an empty space.

-The Prince now has a regular double act with the Duchess of Cornwall.

At Llandovery, the local railway had a special birthday.

-It's not Kit-Kat?

-And the cakes were out in force.

-There was somebody at Llangwm yesterday who was trying to do the biggest Welsh cake.

They were trying to beat the record.

-No, but it was a flop.

It didn't work.

[ Laughter ] -It broke into pieces.

-The plan was to travel on the mostly single-track Heart of Wales line after a moment of nostalgia for the days of steam.

-Not quite in the shed.

Just stop it there, sir.

That'd be fine.

-And lives at home?

-It does live at home, in a shed.

-At this level?

-[ Speaks indistinctly ] -You are marvelous to bring it all the way here.

-And his wife gets very cross.

[ Children singing indistinctly ] -Oh, hello.

-The scheduled service was running eight minutes late, which gave the children of the local primary school their opportunity.

[ Singing continues ] [ Applause ] -Do they give you much homework or not?

-No.

-Really?

None at all.

You eat your vegetables, do you?

[ Laughs ] -Ladies and gentlemen, three cheers for the royal party!

Hip-hip!

-Hooray!

-Hip-hip!

-Hooray!

-Hip-hip!

-Hooray!

-I've chugged up and down here before on the Royal Train doing visits, you know, but usually I'm able to read the brief.

But it is a magical line.

-What's this place?

-I don't know.

It says there.

-How do you pronounce it?

-"Schlan-zema."

-Oh, dear.

That doesn't sound very healthy, does it?

-What, that?

-That noise.

[ Engine rumbling ] I think we're about to break down.

-That's what I love about this.

It hasn't got the continuous welding, so you get the clackety-clack, clackety-clack, clackety-clack.

-It sends you to sleep.

That's the problem.

Fighting to keep awake here.

-There was a man waiting at Llandovery station, completely confused by all these people there who's been on holiday.

He was going back or something, I think, to Newcastle, but he -- to go to Shrewsbury and then goodness knows where.

Look out on your left.

-What's this?

-I don't know where that is.

-This is Shrewsbury.

-No.

Can we go to the door?

[ Crowd cheering ] -For passengers in the other carriages, the train was now even later.

The Welsh cakes on board would have been ideal for thanking well-wishers... -Better get back.

-...except they'd run out.

-Not guilty.

-Not guilty.

Who's been eating all the Welsh cakes?

I wanted to offer them a Welsh cake in return for the honey.

They're all gone.

-He's a very exceptional man.

They see him as a very serious person, which he is.

But I would like a lot of people to see the lighter sign of him.

-How do you define scrumpy, then?

-Well, scrumpy is cider with a minimal amount of... -Straining?

-Additives.

-Additives.

Ah.

-And minimal... -Have another drink.

[ Laughs ] He's got an incredible collection of sporrans.

But they're usually made of goat hair and smell unbelievable.

My one does, my old Gordon Highlander one still smells.

It was an old billy goat, I think.

They never -- It doesn't matter what you do to it.

It goes on smelling like goat.

It's why goat's cheese -- I never quite -- It always smells like my sporran -- or tastes like.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪ -Even the formalities of the royal calendar have their lighter moments.

At Windsor every June, the Knights and Ladies of the Garter, the oldest and highest order of chivalry, are led in procession to St. George's Chapel.

♪♪ -All these strange activities that go on, people dressing up, it's actually rather important because it defines the particular boundaries and the way in which the constitution works, because nothing's written down.

Somehow, you've devised this extraordinary system which allows for a remarkable degree of flexibility, unlike some of the more rigid constitutions.

So, it has to be defined by tradition.

A lot of people have a jolly time poking fun, you know, all that sort of thing.

If it becomes too serious, it's rather depressing.

♪♪ -Beth came from Battersea.

And somebody sent me a picture of her, this dear little thing.

Had the look on its face saying, "Please, somebody take me."

And I think somebody just turned her in.

She wasn't wanted.

And it's safe to say she's fallen on her paws.

You absolutely love her, don't you?

-I know.

She's very special.

The funniest dog ever.

-Do you remember when you had Tigger all those years back?

Tigger was a very -- was his first Jack Russell.

She was quite grumpy, wasn't she?

Little bit grumpy?

-She got grumpy as she got old.

-She did.

-At Birkhall, his home in Aberdeenshire, Prince Charles has been planning for the future.

Five years ago, he planted this arboretum for his first grandchild, who one day will be Prince of Wales.

-It was planted about the same time as George, my grandson, was born.

So it's really George's Wood, you know.

It'll be quite amusing for him, I hope, when he -- as they grow up and he grows up one day.

-Does he have time to be a grandfather on top of everything else?

-It's something I'm working more heavily on, put it that way.

I think he does have time for us, but I would like him to have more time with the children.

I think now he's reached his 70th year.

It's a perfect time to consolidate a little bit, 'cause as most families will do, you are worried about having him around and making sure their health's okay.

He's the fittest man I know, but equally, I want him to be fit till he's 95, you know, going on, so having more time with him at home would be lovely and be able to play around with the grandchildren.

'Cause when he's there, he's brilliant, but we need him there as much as possible.

-He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, making funny noises and laughing.

And my grandchildren adore him.

Absolutely adore him.

He reads "Harry Potter."

He can do all the different voices, and I think children really appreciate that.

You can't believe how much it's grown in the last five years.

I mean, it was tiny when it was all planted.

You never think it's going to grow into anything at all.

Next thing you know, you're being dwarfed by it.

-Is that 'cause you get a lot of water?

-He doesn't think we get enough water here.

He gets very, very worried and does rain dances most of the day to try and get some more.

I think there's quite a lot.

-But his work-life balance is still under pressure.

At Dumfries House, with the loan paid off, a health center is about to open.

They're planning residential courses and traditional arts and crafts, and there's no letup in the fundraising.

-Is the risk still there, or do you feel happy with it now?

-I mean, having taken the risks, I believe in living dangerously.

You can't do these things without an element of risk.

But now, I mean, success breeds success.

And once you show people what you're doing, it's amazing how they want to go on helping.

They say, "What's the next thing we can do to help?"

-The Prince himself works a seven-day week.

He starts after breakfast and is often still at his desk at midnight.

-He feels everything inside.

That's why he gets things done.

He's pretty impatient.

He wants things done by yesterday, as I think everybody who works for him will tell you, but that's how he gets things done.

He's driven by this passion inside him to really help -- help.

He wants to -- really wants to say that he would like to save the world.

-Meant to be finished in September, is it?

-Will be.

-He does need to slow down.

This is a man who has dinner ridiculously late at night and then goes to his desk later that night and will fall asleep on his notes to the point of where he'll wake up with a piece of paper stuck to his face.

-He has amazing personal discipline, so he has -- Sometimes it's frustrated me in the past a lot.

He has a routine.

The only way to fit all this stuff in, things have to be compartmentalized.

-The man never stops.

I mean, when we were kids, there were bags and bags and bags of work the Office just sent to him.

We could barely even get to his desk to say good night to him.

-The intensity of his campaigning about climate change and many other things has ruffled feathers, but that's how he's chosen to interpret the historic role of Prince of Wales.

-Each one of my predecessors had to find out how they would do it.

A lot of them dropped dead or were killed before they got very far.

I mean, the Black Prince was the first one, and he rushed about doing all the complicated bits of fighting battles while his father sat somewhere else.

So, he was busy winning his spurs.

In a sense, that's still what has to happen, I think.

-I was going to say, you don't have battles where you go in to fight, but you've had battles of your own as Prince of Wales.

Were you given -- Were you encouraged to get involved like that by people in government?

-Yes.

I mean, I listened.

As I said, I talked to all sorts of people.

I was lucky.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home was marvelous when he was Foreign Secretary.

He was always helpful.

I remember Harold Wilson.

I talked to him about all sorts of things.

But all these characters would encourage me to take an interest.

And I remember Jim Callaghan, who was prime minister, and he invited me to come and spend the whole day at Number 10.

I sat in on all his meetings and the Cabinet meeting and his briefing before going to the House of Commons for question time.

And then I was sent 'round to all the different ministries to find out what went on and this sort of thing.

So, as you can imagine, I was much encouraged to take an interest.

I think people by now would be rather fed up if I hadn't, I would've thought.

-As well as speaking out, the Prince has used what he calls his convening power to bring people together on particular issues, to make things happen.

-Some people have accused you of meddling.

-Really?

You don't say.

But I always wonder what meddling is.

I mean, I always thought it was motivating, but I've always been intrigued if it's meddling to worry about the inner cities as I did 40 years ago and what was happening or not happening there, the conditions in which people were living.

If that's meddling, I'm very proud of it.

-He believes that until any changing of the guard, he's able to speak out because he's not under the same constraints as the monarch.

-I've tried to make sure whatever I've done has been non-party political.

I think it's vital to remember, there's only room for one sovereign at a time, not two.

So you can't be the same as the sovereign if you're the Prince of Wales or the heir.

But the idea somehow that I'm going to go on exactly the same way if I have to succeed is complete nonsense because the two -- the two situations are completely different.

You only have to look at Shakespeare plays, "Henry V" or "Henry IV, Part 1 and 2," to see the change that can take place.

Because if you become the sovereign, then you play the role in the way that it is expected.

So clearly, I won't be able to do the same things I've done, you know, as heir.

So of course you operate within the constitutional parameters.

But it's a different function.

I think people have forgotten that the two are very different.

-Because, of course, people have expressed worries about whether this involvement will continue in the same way.

-No, it won't.

I'm not that stupid.

I do realize that it is a separate exercise being sovereign.

So, of course.

You know, I understand entirely how that should operate.

-But you could use the convening power you've spoken of for good.

-You'll never know, but you could only do it with the agreement of ministers.

That's how it works.

-He has, of course, his destiny to come.

Do you feel that's something that weighs heavily on his shoulders?

-No.

No, I don't.

I think his destiny will come.

He's always known it's gonna come, and I don't think it does weigh on his shoulders at all.

-Is it something he talks about?

-Not very much, no.

It's just something that's gonna happen.

♪♪ -This November, at the time of his milestone birthday, the Prince's family are taking stock with their own words of encouragement and advice.

-Please have dinner earlier is my message to him.

-I'm very pleased that he's made 70.

You know, if you ask him if the job's done, it's not.

But one other thing, I'd like to see his passions and his interests and the things he's been campaigning for come to fruition completely for him.

-I would encourage him to remain optimistic because I think it can be very easy to become despondent and negative.

But with hopefully his children and his grandchildren and hopefully more grandchildren to come, he can get energy from the family side, and then carry on his leadership role.

-My father once said to me, "As you get older, you've got to do one thing, and that is pace yourself."

And I'd love to tell him to pace himself, but I'm afraid that's not gonna happen.

-He hasn't even reached the point that his natural progression should do -- i.e., being monarch.

So, you know, he's still got his job to do.

♪♪ -Never again, for instance, will it be possible to squeeze into a pair of budgie smugglers and things like that.

[ Laughter ] And I don't know about you, ladies and gentlemen, but now bits of me keep falling off at various regular intervals.

"Don't worry," they keep telling me.

"You have brilliant genes."

But the trouble is, I can't even get into them, either.

Prince Charles at 70 is available on Amazon Prime Video.