King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday in one of their first major public appearances since their coronation earlier this month.
The pair toured the gardens and displays with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Among the exhibits they saw was the London Square Community Garden, designed by James Smith, which aims to emphasise community connections through a space where people can relax, share meals and interact with nature.
Of special interest was the Samaritans’ Listening Garden, designed by Darren Hawkes and inspired by those who have reached out to the Samaritans during difficult times.
As patron of the charity for more than 20 years, King Charles is dedicated to supporting their vision of reducing suicide rates.
The show was the perfect place for the king to find replacement plants for his garden – after they were eaten by rabbits.
It appears the monarch was on the lookout for something to fill a patch in his garden at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, after the animals took a liking to some of his plants.
When he stopped at designer Jane Porter’s garden Choose Love, a lavender sage plant – salvia lavandulifolia – with delicate purple flowers caught his eye.
The designer created the garden for the Choose Love charity, which supports asylum seekers around the globe, and featured plants such as old varieties of roses from the Middle East or irises from North Africa that those seeking sanctuary would recognise.
“He was really interested in one of the plants we’ve got because at Highgrove something’s being eaten by rabbits and he wants to replace it," Ms Porter said.
“I love that, that’s brilliant. He’s such a keen gardener. I’m sure he would have his eye out for all sorts of things – he was very knowledgeable about everything in the garden.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Chelsea Flower Show - in pictures
The king was making his first visit to the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show as monarch and was joined by the queen, who toured the site separately.
As they separated to stroll around the flower show, a piece of garden furniture perfect for relaxing had Queen Camilla transfixed.
As she admired a garden swing in the Hamptons Mediterranean Gardens, designed by Filippo Dester, she was told: “You’re welcome to have a try of the swing if you want.”
The queen quickly accepted and once she sat down joked: “I might stay here.”
UK's King Charles III visits the Chelsea Flower Show - video
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During the queen's trip around the attraction Paula Carnell, head beekeeper of The Newt in Somerset, shouted, “Will you come over here if you have time?”
Queen Camilla made her way over before Ms Carnell spoke in depth about the different hives, saying she and the queen share a love for the insect.
“We talked about bees because she’s a beekeeper herself and her daughter actually has a rocket hive," she said.
“You forget all the royalness of it when you’re speaking about something you’re passionate about. It’s lovely, it’s nice to have that connection.”
Before leaving, the king and queen presented the new Elizabeth Medal of Honour, which recognises British and international non-horticulturists, and horticulturists from overseas, who have significantly advanced the science, art or practice of horticulture for the benefit of all and the environment.
The award will be confined to 70 recipients at any one time, in reference to the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
Recipients were the world-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf, Baroness Janet Fookes, a leading voice in Westminster on the importance of horticulture, and environmental champion Judy Ling Wong.
“The Royal Horticultural Society was exceptionally fortunate to have Her Majesty as our patron throughout her reign," RHS president Keith Weed said of the medal.
“This award celebrates both Her Majesty’s glorious reign and the work she did to raise the profile of UK horticulture, both nationally and internationally, through her visits to RHS Chelsea Flower Show and wider work.”
This year's Chelsea Flower Show is the first since Queen Elizabeth II's death. A regular visitor, the queen often had the RHS Chelsea Flower Show marked in her calendar and she even attended in 2022 despite health problems.
To honour Queen Elizabeth, her family had been scheduled to visit the Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration, a piece by Dave Green.
This garden serves as a tribute to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla and celebrates Queen Elizabeth. A special presentation was scheduled during their visit.
Chelsea Flower Show 2023 - in pictures
One of the highlights of this year's show is the Garden of Unity which represents the five pillars of Islam with five cherry trees.
The RHS and Eastern Eye Garden of Unity, which has a prime spot on the main avenue, was developed by British garden designer Manoj Malde, who is also the show's ambassador for diversity and inclusivity.
“I have tried very hard to make sure that in some way or another I am including various different communities, different cultural backgrounds and different ethnicities,” Mr Malde told the The National last week.
Earlier, the Princess of Wales joined pupils from participating schools at the show's first children's picnic.
Pupils from 10 schools in the Royal Horticultural Society’s campaign for school gardening were invited to the outdoor lunch, which took place before the start of the show.
Mingling with the young people picnicking at the site’s bandstand, Kate promoted the integration of gardening and nature into the lives of children – a cause she passionately supports.
During her visit, she was candid with the curious children about her royal duties, emphasising the hard work involved.
She also mentioned that her son, Prince Louis, is growing broad beans at school, furthering her message of the importance of gardening in education.
Adding a personal touch, the Princess of Wales demonstrated her talent for drawing by sketching flowers and plants for the children, instead of a signature.
Kate was welcomed by former servicemen and women when they encountered her at a walled kitchen garden designed by Mark Gregory.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, visits the Chelsea Flower Show - in pictures
When asked about the lunch menu, Harry Puttick, a Chelsea pensioner who served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers for 30 years, said: “The peas are forgettable – you are not.”
He later added, acknowledging the nearby cook: “I’d better say the peas were wonderful, but it was fantastic to meet the future queen.”
In 2019, the Princess of Wales co-designed a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show, inspiring people to reconnect with nature.
The idea was born from her dialogue with the RHS that same year, when her garden was exhibited at Chelsea, after which she pushed for more children to be involved in the show.
More on the show
The Chelsea Flower Show is held each year in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
The event attracts 150,000 visitors during five days every May, with exhibits including gardens, floral displays and plant nurseries.
From May 23 to 27, 2023, the theme for this year's show, Restorative Power of Gardens and Gardening, will highlight the positive influence of gardens on health and well-being.
This year's show has a line-up of special features, including gardens designed by the Prince of Wales showing organic gardening benefits, the RHS emphasising pollinators' importance, the Chelsea Physic Garden exhibiting medicinal plants, and the BBC presenting the best of British gardening.
The show is a learning centre for the latest gardening trends and a platform to appreciate the therapeutic effects of gardening.