Documentary marks Prince's birthday

4:05am Tuesday 14th October 2008

A documentary about the Prince of Wales described as looking "behind and beyond the headlines" will be screened to mark Charles' 60th birthday, the BBC has announced.

The film's producer, John Bridcut, has been given unprecedented access to the heir to the throne while he was on official duty in the UK and abroad.

Details of the documentary's content have not been released but it is thought major events from the past year, including the Prince's visit to the Caribbean in March, will be featured.

Nick Vaughan-Barratt, executive producer of Charles At 60: The Passionate Prince, said: "This important documentary sheds new light on the Prince of Wales.

"Many people have a view about the Prince but few people know him well - this film looks behind and beyond the headlines at the man himself.

"It shows the Prince using his substantial influence to further a wide variety of causes - some of them unfashionable, some controversial - and it provides a rare opportunity to hear him speaking directly, not just about what he does but why he is so passionate about the many causes he espouses."

The Prince celebrates his 60th birthday on November 14 and will mark the milestone with two birthday parties, one hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace and another by the Duchess of Cornwall at Charles' Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire.

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