King Charles Receives a Green Blue Peter Badge at Dumfries House

Kings do not often add to their collection of medals, but this one will mean a lot to anyone who grew up watching children’s television. On Earth Day 2026, His Majesty The King was presented with a Green Blue Peter Badge, recognising a lifetime of championing the natural world.

Filming at Dumfries House

The setting was Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, the home of The King’s Foundation. The charity’s work focuses on sustainable communities, environmental education, traditional skills and living in harmony with nature. For the day, the estate became a film set for a special edition of the BBC programme.

Blue Peter presenter Joel Mawhinney handed over the Green Blue Peter Badge among historic stone walls and spring gardens, acknowledging a commitment to sustainability that began long before eco-friendly became a household phrase.

What the Green Blue Peter Badge means

The Green Blue Peter Badge goes to children and individuals who show real care for nature and the environment. The King now joins that group, and the award recognises his hands-on leadership, especially through The King’s Foundation, which has spent decades showing how people can live with nature rather than against it.

Blue Peter is the world’s longest-running TV programme, and the badge sits neatly within its long mission to encourage young people to make a difference.

Swapping ideas with young environmentalists

The badge was only part of the day. The King spent the morning talking with a group of young Green Badge holders who are taking part in the Foundation’s Growing Together, Cooking Together and Food for the Future programmes. They shared their ideas for cutting food waste and protecting the planet.

Several of the children’s designs and inventions will be sealed in the Foundation’s time capsule, which is due to be opened in 100 years.

What the organisers said

Sarah Muller, Head of Commissioning 7+, said that Blue Peter has always aimed to inspire children to believe they can change the world, and that giving the badge on Earth Day reflects that mission.

Jacqueline Farrell, Executive Director for Education at The King’s Foundation, said it was special to see the students receive their badges alongside The King. The Food for the Future programme has run for more than five years and helps students build confidence to play an active role in reducing food waste. After taking part, 100% of students said they felt more aware of food waste, its effect on the planet and what they can do about it.

When to watch

The special episode airs on CBBC on Friday 1 May at 17:00 and will be on BBC iPlayer the same day. It also features Steve Backshall from CBBC’s Deadly 60 series, Abby finding deadly fungus and plants at Kew Gardens, and a review of Daniel Thompson’s Outside In: Nature Poems in the Blue Peter Book Club.

It is a lovely reminder that small, practical ideas about food and nature can start young, and sometimes end up in a time capsule.

Earth Day itself is a good reminder that big environmental goals often begin with small habits at home and school. Cooking with less waste, growing food together and asking questions about where things come from are all things children can do right away, and the projects at Dumfries House show how much imagination they bring to the task.