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The sentimental way the RHS Chelsea Flower Show plans to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II

The aptly-named Garden of Royal Reflection commemorates the Queen at the UK's most prestigious floral celebration

Queen Elizabeth II
(Image credit: GettyImages)

RHS Chelsea Flower Show – the most prestigious floral festival in the UK – will celebrate the life of the late Queen in the first event since her passing. 

An aptly-named Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration, created by award-winning garden designer Dave Green, will exhibit Queen Elizabeth II's most-beloved plants – including silver birch and Olivia Austin roses. It will also pay homage to the new King – commemorating his coronation with his most favored plants. 

It is no secret that delphiniums are the King's most-loved flower – often appearing in Royal residences, including his summer retreat, Highgrove House. However, alongside some light pink and white flowers – planted in memory of Queen Elizabeth – the garden will include camassia and geranium, both of which featured on the King's preference list. 

Designer Dave Green sought advice from Sandringham's Head Gardener, Jack Lingfield, to seamlessly celebrate the new monarch's tastes. Sculptor Keziah Burt created a bust of King Charles that will also sit among the flower bed.

Queen Elizabeth II

RHS Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration Designed by Dave Green

(Image credit: © Dave Green)

Chelsea Flower Show will take place from May 22nd to May 27th on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London. With just under three weeks to go, the only images of the Garden of Royal Reflection are CGI impressions, seen above. However, these images offer a glimpse of what visitors (and the rest of the world) can expect before photographs are released.

The Queen was a frequent visitor of the Chelsea Flower Show – visiting even last year in May 2022, four months before her passing. 

'Her Majesty became Patron of the Society on accession to the throne in 1952. From an early age, The Queen regularly accompanied her parents to RHS Chelsea Flower Show, visiting the show more than 50 times during her reign, and always took great pleasure in touring the gardens and plant displays and speaking with exhibitors,' the RHS shared in a statement. 

Queen Elizabeth II

(Image credit: GettyImages)

'Her Majesty understood the importance of gardening, and there can be no doubt that The Queen and HRH Prince Philip enjoyed the peace and privacy of their gardens at Sandringham, Norfolk, Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, and Buckingham Palace, but they also enjoyed the gardens as a venue for summer garden parties; it is said that no one knew the gardens of Buckingham Palace better than The Queen.'

We await photos of this special garden once Chelsea Flower Show opens to all, but in the meantime, we're reading up on Buckingham Palace's famous royal gardens below.

Buckingham Palace: A Royal Garden | $20.33 on Amazon

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Buckingham Palace: A Royal Garden provides unique insight into the activities of the Palace's gardening team, such as mulberry harvesting and creating winter bouquets for the UK's most famous palace.

Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.