David Attenborough at Leicester Museums & Galleries

Sir David Attenborough, whose formative years in Leicester helped shape his lifelong passion for the natural world, celebrates his 100th birthday on Friday 8th May 2026.

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.

Sir David's Mother, Mary Attenborough was an important supporter of the museum and his brother, Lord Richard Attenborough donated a collection of Picasso Ceramics to the Museum in 2007.

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:

“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.”

- Sir David Attenborough

Leicester Museums & Galleries have searched the Museums Photographic Archive to show the occasions over the years when Sir David visited. These include events such as; The 175th Birthday of Leicester Museums & Galleries (1999), The Dinosaur Gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery (2011) and the reveal of 'Attenborough in Paradise' a portrait of Sir David by Bryan Organ (2016) which is now in Leicester Museums & Galleries Collection.