Sir David Attenborough remembers Queen's 'most precious laugh' in moving tribute

Sir David Attenborough shared a personal tribute following the Queen's death

David Attenborough Queen - Queen Elizabeth II presents the Chatham House Prize 2019 to Sir David Attenborough at the Royal institute of International Affairs, Chatham House on November 20, 2019 in London Colney, England.
(Image credit: Getty Images / Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool)

Sir David Attenborough has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death at Balmoral Castle. 

  • Ahead of King Charles III’s address to the nation, Sir David Attenborough has shared a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Sir David and the Queen were both born in 1926 and worked closely together during her reign.
  • Speaking to ITV, the documentary-maker detailed what he will remember the most about the monarch, who died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle. 

People across the world have been sharing their condolences to the royal family and tributes to the Queen after Buckingham Palace announced on September 8th that Queen Elizabeth had died aged 96, at her Balmoral estate.

Now, legendary broadcaster and historian, Sir David Attenborough has shared a personal tribute to Her Majesty, with whom he worked closely with on projects and documentaries during her 70 years on the throne. 

Speaking to ITV News, Sir David shared that what he will remember most about the Queen is her "most precious laugh".

Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough attend a reception to showcase forestry projects that have been dedicated to the new conservation initiative The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) at Buckingham Palace on November 15, 2016 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images / Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

He said, “if there was something funny she laughed in a genuine way,” before adding, “She was an expert at getting people to relax.

"When you met her you were well-aware that you were in the presence of someone who was extremely important to our society and yet she made it seem that you were meeting another human being with exactly the same conditions that all human beings have."

Sir David worked with the Queen to produce some of her famous Christmas addresses to the nation, and recalled how he watched her become "more and more skilled at maintaining a position, maintaining a way of behaving and speaking, and of mastering a brief and doing a job with conviction."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II presents TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough with the Insignia of the Order of Merit, a personal award from the Queen recognising exceptional achievements in the advancement of arts, learning, literature and science at Buckingham Palace on June 10, 2005 in London.

(Image credit: Getty Images / POOL/Anwar Hussein Collection)

He added that working with Her Majesty throughout their lives and being able to form a bond with her left him "delighted" saying that "it was a great privilege".

During her reign, the Queen awarded Sir David with a Knighthood for his environmental work, and the Order of Merit, which is given as a personal gift from the monarch for exceptional distinction in the arts and sciences.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Lifestyle team and has recently earned her Gold Standard Diploma in Journalism from the NCTJ. She has a background in design, having studied Illustration at Plymouth University but has taken a leap into the world of journalism after always having a passion for writing. She currently writes pieces on beauty, fashion, and entertainment for Goodto.com and My Imperfect Life.