Peter Colville, a 60-year-old British property maintenance manager, died during a luxury boat excursion off the coast of Alanya, Turkey, on July 27. The incident occurred during the second swimming stop near Cleopatra Beach aboard the Legend Big Kral, a vessel marketed as a "luxury pirate ship" that offers entertainment, snorkeling, and foam parties. Colville was on holiday with ten family members, including his children and grandchildren, when he was found floating face-up and unresponsive in the water.

Fellow passengers discovered Colville unconscious and hauled him onto the deck, where they began administering CPR. According to eyewitness accounts from his daughter Nakita Colville and other travelers, the crew appeared "unbothered and clueless" during the emergency. Nakita reported that crew members "just stood there with their arms crossed" while guests attempted lifesaving measures, and a barman subsequently pronounced her father deceased before staff covered his body with a towel.

The handling of the situation after Colville's death has drawn sharp criticism from passengers. While the coastguard arrived to transport Colville's body to the hospital and his grieving family was escorted off the vessel, the boat's entertainment program continued. According to multiple accounts, crew members organized a foam party for the remaining distressed passengers shortly after the tragedy. TripAdvisor reviews from passengers on the same cruise described the crew's response as having "no proper procedures" and declared the treatment "nothing short of horrifying."

The cause of Colville's death remains unknown, with his family noting he was believed to be in good health prior to the incident. The Legend Big Kral, which reportedly carried approximately 600 passengers on the day of the tragedy, lists its capacity as 1,200 on TripAdvisor. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidelines state that pleasure cruises carrying more than 100 people should have specific safety equipment, though the application of these standards to Turkish excursion boats remains unclear as investigations continue.

King Charles has joined forces with Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett in a previously unpublicized podcast recording focused on global conservation efforts. The 22-minute episode, titled "Unearthed: The Need For Seeds," was recorded in the private gardens of Windsor Castle in July and features the monarch alongside Blanchett and Kew seed scientist Dr. Elinor Breman. This marks only the second podcast recording in the King's public life, demonstrating his continued commitment to environmental causes that have defined much of his royal work.

The conversation centered on the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, West Sussex, which King Charles originally opened in 2000 and has maintained an active interest in since. The facility represents one of the world's most ambitious conservation projects, having collected, cleaned, dried and stored nearly 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 plant species in walk-in freezers maintained at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Both the King and Blanchett, who became Wakehurst's first ambassador last year, emphasized the critical importance of this work in preserving global biodiversity.

During the discussion, Blanchett expressed concern about the rapid loss of natural habitats, noting that "97 percent of wildflower meadows have been decimated" in recent decades. She highlighted the disconnect between perceived natural beauty and actual ecological fragility, stating that "there is an urgency to the work that the seed bank does." The King echoed this sentiment, reflecting on his long-standing awareness of environmental degradation, particularly the damage to flower-rich meadows since the postwar period.

The podcast also touched on broader conservation challenges, including the need for increased funding and public awareness. Blanchett pointed to the frustration of seeing "so many extraordinary initiatives right there ready to be scaled up" but lacking financial support and direction. King Charles acknowledged both the progress made and the need to accelerate conservation efforts, stating that while the seed bank's work is "wonderful," the process must speed up to address escalating environmental threats facing plant species worldwide.