A very special visitor
Her Majesty the Queen
Her Majesty The Queen has a long and close association with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Queen has been the royal patron of the Royal Horticultural Society since 1952 and has been a regular visitor to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for over 70 years.
When she was only ten years old, the RHS was delighted to hear that ‘the little Princess Elizabeth was starting to plant a little garden of her own at the Royal Lodge.’ To encourage this interest the RHS sent her tickets to Chelsea and Princess Elizabeth became a regular visitor to the show.
On these early visits to the show, the young princess was often accompanied by her mother, who was also a keen gardener.
Royal visits to Chelsea were truly a family affair. For many years the royal party was escorted around the showground by the Queen’s uncle, Sir David Bowes-Lyon, who became treasurer of the RHS in 1948 and its President in 1953.
Although Her Majesty was not able to attend in the year of her coronation, she has attended virtually every year since then, often accompanied by many other members of the royal family.
Over the course of her long reign, there have been many landmark dates and these have been celebrated with by special features at the show. For the coronation, a special display of plants from all over the Commonwealth was created.
The Royal Parks Department constructed a floral crown from carpet bedding for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.
In 2012, in addition to striking floral displays, a special artwork was commissioned by the RHS to mark the Diamond Jubilee. This was a royal signature – a special botanical artwork signed by Her Majesty. It joins a collection of royal signatures in the RHS Lindley Library, with autographs of the crowned heads of Europe spanning over 200 years.
Royal visits to the show occur on the Monday of Chelsea week, after judging has occurred, but before medals are announced. This means that when the Queen tours the showground, she does not know which gardens and exhibitors have won medals.
Guided by the President and the Director General of the RHS, the Queen will stop to speak to designers and exhibitors. It is an exciting climax to months of hard work.
Created by RHS Lindley Library.
Based at the Royal Horticultural Society’s headquarters at Vincent Square in London, the Lindley Library holds a world-class collection of horticultural books, journals and botanical art.
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Built with Shorthand