David Attenborough's world turned upside down by tragic phone call
Beloved broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 99th birthday on Thursday, but will be without his wife, Jane, who died almost 30 years ago
As Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday this Thursday, the world will take a moment to honour his remarkable career and contributions. However, the day may be tinged with sadness for the beloved broadcaster.
The beloved presenter and biologist lost his wife nearly three decades ago, leaving him to navigate the latter stages of his life without his partner.
Sir David was filming in New Zealand when he received the devastating news in 1997 that his wife Jane, aged 70, had suffered a brain haemorrhage and slipped into a coma, reports the Mirror.
"She never regained consciousness but she knew I was back because she clasped my hand," Sir David once shared. "The surgeon very gently and compassionately said that there was no way he could operate because she simply wasn't strong enough. She passed away one day short of our 47th wedding anniversary. We had a very happy marriage."
Childhood sweethearts Sir David and Jane first crossed paths at the tender age of 18 and exchanged vows six years later, after the BBC broadcaster completed his national service with the Royal Navy.
The couple were blessed with two children; son Robert and daughter Susan.
Reflecting on his late wife in a conversation with the Daily Mail, Sir David shared touching memories: "My wife was a very special woman. She gave up her career as a cook when we married because she was old-fashioned enough to believe that being married and having a family was a career. But she was special in the sense that she let me go off around the world. She knew it made me happy; she wanted that for me."
As Sir David approaches his landmark birthday this Thursday, it has been revealed that he will host an immersive experience at the Natural History Museum exploring the narrative of humankind.
The esteemed naturalist and broadcaster, renowned for his work on BBC documentaries such as Wild Isles and the Planet Earth series, will share insights from his illustrious career and his aspirations for the future of our planet in the engaging exhibition set to open in June.
The exhibit, titled Our Story With David Attenborough and situated in the museum's Jerwood Gallery, will utilise state-of-the-art cinematic projection technology to animate the gallery space with captivating scenes from the natural world.
Sir David commented: "Humanity is the most influential species on Earth. We depend entirely on this magnificent planet, yet its future is in our hands."
He expressed his desire for the exhibition, saying: "My hope is that visitors of all ages will experience our extraordinary journey at the Natural History Museum and come away feeling inspired, informed and most of all, empowered about their integral role in our world. This is our story and we can all play a significant role."
Starting from the dawn of our planet, over four billion years ago, Sir David Attenborough takes us through our earliest origins and how we've shaped the world around us. He also reflects on the highs and lows he's seen throughout his career and shares his hopes for our planet.
The 50-minute immersive experience has been crafted in partnership with Sir David and production team Open Planet Studios.
This new offering joins a line-up of other experiences from the museum, following the launch of Fixing Our Broken Planet in April and the upcoming Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, set to arrive on May 16.
Our Story With David Attenborough will open at the Natural History Museum on June 19, 2025. Tickets will be available from May 22.
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