Sir David Attenborough gifts Prince George a fossilised shark tooth

Sir David Attenborough has given Prince George a fossilised giant shark’s tooth to mark their first meeting at Kensington Palace, after discovering the young royal was a ‘massive fan’.

The young prince, seven, was photographed looking intrigued as he handled the fossilised tooth from an extinct Carcharocles megalodon – one of the most feared predators to have swum in the seas.

Sir David presented his gift after he attended a private viewing – held in the palace’s grounds – of A Life On Our Planet, his new environmental documentary.

Two images were released by the palace to mark the occasion, with the first showing Sir David as he met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 38, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.

Dressed in a dapper suit, the 94-year-old naturalist, who hit headlines recently after joining Instagram, is seen standing a safe distance from the family who are gathered around a bench in their gardens – with Kate looking resplendent in a cotton denim shirt dress, thought to be by Gabriela Hearst, costing £1295.

Kate, who once again matched her children to her fashion choice, with the whole family wearing various shades of blue, recently revealed that her youngsters were ‘massive fans’ of Sir David, and were disappointed they didn’t get to meet the national treasure during their parents’ catch up with him for ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All.

The young prince, seven, was photographed (above) looking intrigued as he handled the fossilised tooth from an extinct Carcharocles megalodon – one of the most feared predators to have swum in the seas

William and the veteran broadcaster watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed.

Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors’ chairs with their names printed on the back – but in a change of plan they sat in each other’s seats.

The 94-year-old broadcaster chatted to William, Kate and their three children George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after the screening on Thursday.

William interviewed Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not ‘annihilate part of the natural world’.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also previously met the conservationist in September 2019 at Birkenhead, for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough, with the encounter appearing in the upcoming ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All.

Sir David presented his gift after he attended a private viewing – held in the palace’s grounds – of A Life On Our Planet, his new environmental documentary. Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors’ chairs with their names printed on the back – but in a change of plan they sat in each other’s seats (pictured)

In a new clip to promote the royal’s programme – which shows his passion for the planet and search for ways to restore the environment for the next generation – Prince William is seen greeting the broadcaster by saying: ‘Here’s a recognised face,’ while Kate admits that George, Charlotte and Louis are disappointed to not be in attendance. 

The duchess, who revealed in lockdown that her eldest son was often watching David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, says: ‘The children were very upset that we were coming to see you and they weren’t coming. They’re massive fans of yours.’

With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, William and Sir David continue to support each other in their mission to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also previously met the conservationist in September 2019 at Birkenhead (above), for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough, with the encounter appearing in the upcoming ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All

This includes working together on William’s Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global environment project announced last December to combat climate issues. Further details about the prize are expected in the coming weeks.

The giant shark tooth given to George was found by Sir David during a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s.

It was embedded in the island’s soft yellow limestone, which was laid down during the Miocene period some 23 million years ago.

Carcharocles megalodon is believed to have grown to 15 metres in length, which is about twice the length of the great white shark.

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet premieres in cinemas on Monday and will launch on Netflix on October 4. An accompanying book is published on October 1.