Since it began in 1913, the Chelsea Flower Show has always attracted royalty. Queen Elizabeth II visited the show many times as a child and attended her first as monarch in 1952. During her 70-year reign, she attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show more than 50 times. Here, we celebrate her love for the show with a series of pictures from her visits there over the years.
1952
A Chelsea pensioner salutes Queen Elizabeth II as she tours the Chelsea Flower Show, London, 20th May 1952. The Queen is accompanied by Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway (1979 – 1953, left).
1960
Queen Elizabeth II on a tour of the Chelsea Flower Show, London 24th May 1960.
1961
Colour photograph of Queen Elizabeth II at Chelsea Flower Show.
1962
Queen Elizabeth II viewing a rose bed, exhibited by ‘Popular Gardening’ magazine, during a tour of the Chelsea Flower Show, London, 22nd May 1962.
1973
Queen Elizabeth II on a tour of the Chelsea Flower Show, London, 22nd May 1973.
1975
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip viewing the carpet bedding of the Royal Coat of Arms, during a tour of the Chelsea Flower Show, London, 19th May 1975.
1980
Queen Elizabeth II samples the fragrance of an ‘Ann Aberconway’ rose held by grower Robert Mattock (1927 – 2002), during a tour of the Chelsea Flower Show, London, 19th May 1980.
1988
Queen Elizabeth II visits the garden show held in the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, 21st May 1988.
2002
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles the Prince of Wales look at the ‘Healing Garden’, which was designed by the Prince in conjunction with designer Jinny Blom to honour the late Queen Mother, at the Chelsea Flower Show, London on the 20th of May 2002.
2009
Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2009 in London.
2012
Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2012.
2013
Queen Elizabeth II listens to Prince Harry as she visits his charity Sentebale, the Forget-me-not Garden, designed in conjunction with Jinny Blom (seen here on the right), at the the Chelsea Flower Show in London on May 20, 2013. This was the centenary year of the show.
2014
Queen Elizabeth II visits the WW1 Centenary garden in the Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014.
2015
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend at the annual Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2015.
2016
Queen Elizabeth II views a floral tribute to mark her 90th birthday, designed by florist Veevers Carter, on the New Covent Garden Flower Market stand during the Royal Visit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016.
2017
Queen Elizabeth II visits the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, 22nd May, 2017. Here, Raymond Evison, of Raymond Evison Clematis, shows her some of their award-winning blooms.
2018
Queen Elizabeth II speaks with Ian Limmer on the Peter Beales Roses exhibition as she attends the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018.
2019
Queen Elizabeth II and William, the Duke of Cambridge are given a tour by Catherine, (known as Kate), the Duchess of Cambridge, of her RHS Back to Nature Garden, which she designed with landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019.
2022
Queen Elizabeth II smiles with garden designer Joe Swift (right) and Mark Gregory (far right), an RHS ambassador, at the ‘BBC Studios Our Green Planet and RHS Bee Garden’, as she toured the garden in a buggy with RHS president Keith Weed during a royal visit to RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Monday 23rd May, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II at Chelsea Flower Show 2022.