King Charles on Kew Podcast for Seed Bank

King Charles recorded a 22-minute episode of Kew’s podcast “Unearthed: The Need For Seeds” with Cate Blanchett and Dr. Elinor Breman in Windsor in July to spotlight the Millennium Seed Bank. The seed bank, which the King helped launch in 2000 and which Kew operates at Wakehurst, now stores nearly 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 species at −20°C and has banked roughly 85% of the UK’s threatened flora while aiming to capture greater genetic diversity. Blanchett, Wakehurst ambassador and Earthshot Prize supporter, warned of the urgency of conservation, citing that about 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost and noting threats to habitats, climate resilience and plant-derived medicines. The conversation highlighted the King’s long-standing advocacy for plant conservation and the use of media to amplify scientific conservation work. The episode follows his earlier podcast appearance this year and is intended to rally public and institutional support to accelerate Kew’s work.