Cate Blanchett
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The British monarch has swapped the throne for a microphone. King Charles III has secretly recorded a podcast with Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett in one of the year's most unexpected royal collaborations.

A Royal and a Hollywood Star Talk Nature

The 22-minute episode, Unearthed: The Need for Seeds, explores the urgent fight to preserve global plant life through the Millennium Seed Bank, a conservation project King Charles helped launch 25 years ago.

Recorded quietly in July at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, the podcast features the King, Blanchett, and Dr Elinor Breman of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Their discussion spotlights the seed bank's mission to protect endangered species from climate change and habitat loss.

Blanchett, Kew Gardens' ambassador for Wakehurst, called the work 'urgent and inspiring'. She said: 'I was shocked to learn that 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been decimated. We admire nature's beauty but forget how fragile it is.'

King Charles echoed her concern, calling the project 'wonderful' but warning that conservation must accelerate. 'The process must be sped up,' he said. 'The lack of awareness and funding remains a major obstacle.'

A Secret Recording at Windsor

Unlike most royal appearances, the podcast was recorded in secret. Sources told The Times the conversation took place on a sunny July afternoon within Windsor's private gardens.

The episode launches the fourth series of Kew's Unearthed podcast, which will expand into a three-part exploration of the seed bank's past, present and future.

Opened in 2000 by then-Prince Charles, the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst in Sussex has grown into the world's largest plant-conservation project, safeguarding more than 2.4 billion seeds from 190 countries. Its goal: to preserve biodiversity and insure humanity against extinction.

Blanchett shared her fascination with Australian flora, particularly the hardy banksia. 'It's a brutal-looking pod that only releases its seeds in extreme heat,' she said. 'It looks like a cross between a mallet and a toilet brush, but what comes out is spectacular.'

A Monarch's Lifelong Mission

This is not King Charles's first broadcast moment. Earlier this year he curated an Apple Music playlist of 17 favourite tracks for Commonwealth Day. But Unearthed: The Need for Seeds is his most personal audio appearance yet.

For decades, the King has championed environmental conservation, organic farming, and climate action long before they became mainstream. On the podcast he reflected: 'There is willingness, but there is not enough direction of the funds.'

What Comes Next

Future Unearthed episodes will delve deeper into the science and stories behind the Millennium Seed Bank's global work, from remote deserts to tropical forests.

Environmental groups have praised the collaboration for spotlighting biodiversity at a time when ecosystems face unprecedented collapse. With King Charles III and Cate Blanchett lending their voices, Unearthed: The Need for Seeds may prove the most high-profile plea yet to protect the planet's smallest treasures.

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