The late Queen Elizabeth II was a regular visitor at Chelsea, but will King Charles III pay a visit this year?
The annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 is fast approaching, running from Tuesday 23rd May to Saturday 27th May at The Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
Visitors to the this year can expect, among many other highlights, to see some royal tributes celebrating the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III.
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The Queen visited Chelsea in 2022, and over 50 times previously in her 70-year reign. She always made a point of talking to exhibitors and designers.
What the Queen told me at Chelsea
Helena Pettit, RHS Director of Shows and Gardens, said: “Whilst there will be joyful celebration around the King’s Coronation at RHS Chelsea this year, the absence of our late Queen on the afternoon before we open will be profoundly felt by many. Her annual visit would lift the whole showground.”
In pictures: the Queen at the Chelsea Flower Show
The Royal Family also have a long history of visiting the showground on the preview day, and both Prince Harry and the then Duchess of Cambridge have been involved in the creation of show gardens. The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Chelsea Fringe Oranges & Lemons pop-up garden in Shoreditch, East London, in 2012.
But will keen gardener, King Charles III attend the event this year?
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In 2009, the Queen presented the Prince with the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour at the show, in recognition of what the RHS described as ‘his passion for plants, sustainable gardening and the environment’. Given his strong interest in horticulture, we can reasonably expect him to attend.
Tight security means that a visit is unlikely to be revealed ahead of time, but we’ll keep you posted on the day.
Head to our Chelsea Flower Show hub page for all our coverage