REPORT: EMILY NASH
T hey are both passionate gardeners and have been known to compete over their home-grown produce, so the King and Queen were in their element touring the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show for the first time in his new reign.
Their Majesties were joined at the Royal Hospital venue in London by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra to take in some of the 17 show gardens and the more than 70 plant nurseries in the Great Pavilion.
Also with the Queen, who was chic in a blue floral print silk dress by Fiona Clare, were her sister Annabel Elliot and her daughter and son-in-law Laura and Harry Lopes, together with Annabel’s fellow Queen’s Companions, the Marchioness of Lansdowne and Baroness von Westenholz, a former model whom Her Majesty calls “Lofty”.
The royal party split to take in different exhibits, with the Queen unable to resist trying out a swing seat in the London Square Community Garden, designed by James Smith to encourage people to relax and share food together in nature. Her Majesty had a gentle swing after admiring the floral display and the vast communal table set with chess and draughtboards, along with dining chairs upcycled by Jay Blades from the BBC show The Repair Shop.
“This is just right to take the weight off your feet. I can’t resist,” she said.
She also stopped to smell the fragrant blooms at David Austin Roses and take in a display of female gardening pioneers called Heroines of Horticulture.
GARDEN PARTY
During their tour of the ground, the group bumped into the King, who was taking another route with TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh.
“We weren’t meant to see you!” said Alan, as she greeted him with a kiss.
Other visits included the Samaritans’ Listening Garden, where Her Majesty discussed the Princess of Wales’s visit that day with staff.
A keen apiarist, Camilla made a beeline for a display by show sponsors The Newt country estate in Somerset, after her daughter Laura excitedly called her over to take a look.
Its Beezantium garden features hives made from woven straw, as well as a scaled-up hive designed to give visitors an insight into how bees live in the wild.
The Queen chatted knowledgeably about the display with The Newt’s head beekeeper Paula Carnell, telling her: ��
