City Mayor pays tribute to Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough, whose formative years in Leicester helped shape his lifelong passion for the natural world, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Friday (8 May).

Picture caption: Sir David with his portrait, Attenborough in Paradise (2016) by Bryan Organ, at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.

The broadcaster, naturalist and national treasure moved to Leicester with his family in 1932. His father, Frederick, was the second Principal of University College, which meant the family lived on what is now the University of Leicester campus.

Along with his two brothers, Sir David attended the nearby Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys – now Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College – and regularly visited Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, where he also worked as a volunteer.  

The museum’s natural science and geological collections played a pivotal role in shaping his early passion for the natural world. Reflecting on his childhood in a 2010 interview, Sir David said: “Of course I wanted to know what [the fossils] were. So, I brought them here to the museum… The influence of this museum had a profound effect on my career.”

The Attenborough family has a long and generous history of supporting Leicester’s cultural institutions.

Sir David’s father served as a patron of the city’s first exhibition of German Expressionist art in 1944. Later, in 2007, Sir David’s brother and sister-in-law, Lord Richard and Lady Sheila Attenborough, donated their renowned collection of Picasso ceramics to the city’s museums.

The family’s remarkable contribution to culture, education and the arts was recognised in 1989, when Sir David and his brother Richard, Lord Attenborough, were given the Honorary Freedom of the City of Leicester.

To mark Sir David’s 100th birthday, Leicester Museums & Galleries have created a dedicated webpage to celebrate his long association with both the museum and the wider city. The page showcases photos and video footage from the archives that illustrate his connection to Leicester.

Visitors to the museum will also be able to see a portrait of Sir David by the Leicester-born artist Bryan Organ, commissioned to mark the naturalist’s 90^th birthday in 2016.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Sir David’s extraordinary career has inspired millions across the world, but his story began right here in Leicester.

“We are immensely proud of the role our city and our museum played in nurturing his early fascination with the natural world. As he celebrates his 100th birthday, he remains one of Britain’s best loved broadcasters, and we in Leicester join the rest of the country in honouring an exceptional life dedicated to education, exploration and the protection of our planet.”

David Attenborough at 100

The museum’s webpage, David Attenborough at Leicester Museums & Galleries, can be seen at leicestermuseums.org/news/david-attenborough-at-leicester-museums-galleries

Organisations around the county are planning events to commemorate Sir David’s birthday. More information is available at visitleicester.info