King Charles congratulated the cast of Emmerdale on their 50th anniversary in a surprise video that was aired at the National Television Awards tonight.

The new monarch, 73, said ‘he was ‘delighted’ to have been asked to help the show celebrate the milestone and is old enough to remember when the show was called Emmerdale Farm. 

Addressing the cast and crew, the King – who filmed the clip when he was still the Prince of Wales – said: ‘It is a testament to all the hard work of its production team that it has since become such an important British institution and a major British export with hundreds of thousands of fans from Scandinavia to New Zealand, all keen to follow the fortunes of what is left of the Sugdens and their new neighbours.

King Charles made a surprise appearance on tonight’s National Television Awards. The King, 73, filmed a special message to congratulate the cast of Emmerdale on their 50th anniversary

The classic soap (pictured is the cast) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The King said in his message that he could remember when it was still called Emmerdale Farm

‘What makes Emmerdale so special is that it has kept true to the vision of its original writer, Kevin Laffan, who wanted to demonstrate that farming is not just a job – it’s a whole way of life.

‘On a daily basis, Emmerdale continues to depict what life is really like for those who work the land and protect our precious countryside. 

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‘It also stresses brilliantly something that concerns me greatly: the long-term sustainability of the way we produce our food.’

‘I’m also heartened by the production team’s efforts off screen. Their ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 has already made Emmerdale one of the first British programmes to be awarded Albert certification, recognising its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its production process and to create content that stresses the importance of establishing a sustainable future.

‘So it is only right that the National Television Awards acknowledge the enormous contribution Emmerdale has made and I hope those watching will join me in sending a warmest congratulations on its 50th anniversary. And wishing it an equally successful future.’

The new monarch (pictured during the clip), 73, said ‘he was ‘delighted’ to have been asked to help the show celebrate the milestone and is old enough to remember when the show was called Emmerdale Farm

NTA’s Executive Producer, Kim Turberville, said: ‘We were delighted to be able to surprise the Emmerdale team with such an important message. 

‘Fifty years of iconic television out of the North is a huge achievement and rightly deserves to be celebrated in the best way possible. 

‘It is with great thanks to His Royal Highness for delivering this message to pop the icing on their birthday cake ahead of their very special weekend.’