Blue Peter is presenting Prince William with a green badge in recognition of his work with The Earthshot Prize, a search for the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

His Royal Highness receives his badge from Blue Peter’s Joel Mawhinney on Friday’s Blue Peter 65th Birthday special (5pm, Friday 13 October, CBBC and BBC iPlayer). During the show, The Prince also helps Joel present the ‘big badge wall’ which features drawings and letters sent in by viewers themed around nature and the environment.

The green badge was introduced in November 1988, and for over 35 years has been the primary focus of Blue Peter’s environmental activities, recognising children who show they care about the planet, climate change, recycling, protecting animals and their habitats. The Prince receives his badge from Joel, who is a magician, and also shows The Prince a card trick.

Famous recipients of the green badge include Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and Bella Ramsay.

The Prince and The Princess of Wales were also recipients of the Gold Blue Peter badge in 2017.

Joining the 65th birthday celebrations in the Blue Peter studio in Salford are former presenters Matt Baker, Lindsey Russell and Radzi Chinyanganya. They join current presenters Abby Cook, Joel Mawhinney and Henry the Blue Peter pet to take on challenges and games.

In true Blue Peter style, Abby and Joel also take on an epic challenge as they go white-water rafting.

Wishing Blue Peter a Happy Birthday in Friday’s show are a whole host of famous faces including Alex Scott, Gaby Roslin, Gary Lineker, Gethin Jones and Coronation Street stars, as well as Gold Blue Peter badge holders Sky Brown, Ellie Simmonds and Joe Wicks. A Happy Birthday Blue Peter message has even featured on The BT Tower in London.

Monday 16 October 2023 is not only the 65th anniversary of the very first broadcast of the longest running children’s TV show in the world, but this year also marks the 60th birthday of the famous Blue Peter badges which were first introduced in June 1963.

Today there are nine types of badges – Blue, Silver, Green, Sport, Purple, Orange, Gold, Music and Book Badge. Since 2017, Blue Peter’s green, blue and purple badges have been made of recycled yoghurt pots in a solar-powered factory in Cornwall.

To celebrate this special year, Blue Peter have just launched a brand-new Book Badge designed by Sir Quentin Blake and, in collaboration with Doctor Who, 500 lucky fans will win a special limited edition competition winners’ badge on Friday 24 November.

Blue Peter transcends the generations and still manages to inspire kids to send in more than 100,000, competition entries, letters, pieces of artwork and ideas for the show each year. A dedicated team reads and replies personally to each child who writes in.

Currently, more than 265,000 children aged 5 - 15 own at least one Blue Peter badge and in the past month alone, 6,000 children have applied for the new Book Badge which launched in September 2023.

Blue Peter is a BBC Studios Kids & Family Production for CBBC. The Blue Peter 65th Birthday special is at 5pm, Friday 13 October, CBBC and BBC iPlayer.