King Charles and Queen Camilla beam at Chelsea Flower Show alongside celebrity guests
A whole host of celebrities have paid a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show today, ahead of the official opening tomorrow.
King Charles and Camilla arrive at Chelsea Flower Show
King Charles and Queen Camilla have stepped out in the evening sunshine to visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
They were greeted by Keith Weed, President of the Royal Horticultural Society, before heading to tour the gardens and view some of the displays.
Charles and Camilla were both given badges by schoolchildren as they entered the RHS No Adults Allowed Garden, and Charles, 75, found his rather amusing.
In a nod to his environmental work, the monarch’s badge read ‘King of the Compost’, and when reading the name he chortled: “Oh hahaha, quite right!” Camilla’s badge read ‘Queen of the Bees’.
To enter the garden, designed by Harry Holding and children from Sulivan Primary School in London, the royal couple had to pay a “forfeit” to enter the first “no adults allowed” garden - and they chose a posey of flowers beginning with the first letter of their names.
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Camellias was the bloom of choice, taken from the Buckingham Palace garden.
The children had agreed that adults can tour the garden if they pledge to do one of three things – either plant a tree, donate to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening or find a flower that starts with the first letter of their name.
The King then took an interest in the plants, and said: “Are you trying to grow vegetables? There’s nothing more fun than eating something you have grown. You should try it. It makes such a difference. It tastes so different.”
Charles appeared in high spirits as he toured the gardens having been given permission by his doctors to attend while undergoing cancer treatment.
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He was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, as well as a small group of friends and relatives.
This included the Queen’s daughter, Laura Lopes, and her husband Harry, her sister, Annabel Elliot and the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley.
The royal couple toured 10 gardens individually before meeting at the No Adults Allowed exhibit.
At the Highgrove Gardens exhibit, Charles spoke to Alan Titchmarsh, who presented the King with a gift from Dame Judi Dench - who was among the notable figures to visit the show on Monday before it opens to the public on Tuesday.
Other famous faces included TV chef Dame Mary Berry, actress Dame Joan Collins and Former Countdown star Carol Vorderman.
Camilla declared the Sue Ryder garden “so peaceful, so lovely”.
But it was the Bridgerton garden that captured her attention, as she was entranced by a stone bench that popped open to reveal a hidden draw containing diaries and documents.
“Oh my goodness me, how very exciting” she exclaimed. “It’s very peaceful with the water. The freesias are out and looking beautiful.”
Touring the secretive garden that alludes to themes of mystery, turmoil and defiance to reflect the character it’s based on, Penelope Featherington, Camilla, 76, said: “I watched the first lot”, in reference to the first season.
The series, which is rated 15 due to its raunchy content, follows Georgian aristocrats in their search for love.
The Queen also visited a stand run by her husband’s Highgrove charity initiative where she was shown two stunning life-size willow replicas of her Battersea rescue dogs, Beth and Bluebell, made by talented Emma Stothard, accompanied by hand-painted bowls with their names on.
“Oh look at them and look at their bowls!” She said. Asked if they were as naughty as her two, she laughed and said: “I hope so!”
Touring the rest of the site together during their hour-long visit, the King and Queen were particularly taken by Plankbridge Shepherds Huts, a business started with a Prince’s Trust grant founded by Charles.
“Look at the loo!” pointed the Queen as she spotted a bespoke Shepherd’s Hut toilet. Charles responded with a hearty laugh.
Established in 1913 on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, the flower show has become one of the world’s leading showcases for horticultural excellence, attracting visitors and exhibitors from across the globe.
It attracts around 168,000 visitors each year and includes gardens, nurseries, floristry, educational displays, and trade stands.
The show has grown from 244 exhibitors in 1913 to over 500 today.
