Queen Camilla is radiant as she arrives at the Chelsea Flower Show alongside King Charles

Queen Camilla and King Charles today visited the Chelsea Flower Show to honour the memory of the late Queen with a new medial in tribute to her 70-year reign.  

Camilla, 75, looked radiant in a floral frock as she arrived at the annual Great Spring Show with her 74-year-old husband, who appeared equally sophisticated in a navy suit. 

Her silk dress, by Fiona Clare, fit perfectly with the theme of the event – with green and white florals set on a background of deep, midnight blue.

She completed her ensemble with pearl drop earrings, and wore comfortable, wedge heels ahead of a long afternoon touring perfectly curated gardens. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla were also attending the Chelsea Flower Show to award the Elizabeth Medal of Honour, which will be confined to a maximum of 70 recipients at any one time.

Camilla paired her elegant ensemble with a pair of pearl drop earrings and a dainty necklace

It was created in recognition of the length of the late Queen’s reign and allows the Royal Horticultural Society Council to honour the leading lights of gardening.

The couple presented the first medals in the ‘Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration’ to garden designer Piet Oudolf, Baroness Janet Fookes, who is a champion of horticulture in Parliament, and environmental champion Judy Ling Wong.

RHS President Keith Weed said: ‘The Royal Horticultural Society was exceptionally fortunate to have Her Majesty as our patron throughout her reign. 

‘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.’

Earlier, the King and Queen took separate tours around some of the gardens, with the King revealing that he was looking for plants to replace ones eaten by rabbits at Highgrove.

The Queen, meanwhile, couldn’t resist making an unscheduled stop-over at a Chelsea garden to test out its swing.

Camilla dashed into the London Square Community Garden designed by James Smith designed to encourage people to meet together, relax and share food, while connecting with nature.

Her Majesty admired the stunning flowers and the giant communal table inset with chess and drought boards with up-cycled chairs created by The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades, who was a guest at the coronation.

Queen Camilla appeared effortlessly elegant in her floral dress when at the Chelsea Flower Show

Queen Camilla and King Charles have arrived at the Chelsea Flower Show in London today

Queen Camilla views The Boodles ‘Best of British’ Garden at Chelsea Flower Show in London

King Charles and Queen Camilla were also attending the Chelsea Flower Show to award the Elizabeth Medal of Honour, which will be confined to a maximum of 70 recipients at any one time

It was created in recognition of the length of the late Queen’s reign and allows the Royal Horticultural Society Council to honour the leading lights of gardening

But it was the large swing seat in dappled shade that really caught her eye.

Sitting down on it the Queen said with a mischievous smile: ‘This is just right to take the weight off your feet. I can’t resist.’ 

She was accompanied by her sister, Annabel Elliot, daughter, Laura Lopes, son-in-law Harry Lopes and two of her Queen’s Companions: Lady Lansdowne and Jane Westenholz, a baroness and former model whom the Queen calls ‘Lofty’.

 At one point her daughter, stylish in a green trouser suit and trainers, called out ‘mum, mum’ and excitedly invited her over to look at some ‘natural beehives’ displayed by The Newt, a hotel in Somerset.

Made from woven straw, they have been designed as a more natural abode reflecting how bees lives in the wild.

The Queen admired the ‘Golden hive’ and, as a keen apiarist herself, chatted knowledgeably.

‘They’re wonderful,’ she said.

King Charles hugs Korean designer Jihae Hwang as he visits her ‘A Letter From A Million Years Past’ Garden

King Charles views a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show after arriving with Camilla

King Charles waves to onlookers as he arrives with Queen Camilla at the Chelsea Flower Show

The King is pictured with designer Jamie Butterworth as he tours a group of landscaped gardens

King Charles attends the Chelsea Flower Show in London today with his wife Camilla

Queen Camilla views Horatio’s Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this afternoon

Their Majesties also met a gay couple who had got married earlier today, garden designer Manoj Malde, 55, and his new husband, garden maintenance expert Clive Gillmore, 58.

They got married at the RHS and Eastern Eye Garden of Unity, which was designed by Mr Malde.

The King suggested that they ought to be out celebrating. ‘You probably should be dashing off somewhere. Well done,’ he said smiling.

 A number of other royals, including Princess Alexandra, also attended the show. 

Earlier, the Princess of Wales told children ‘you have to work hard’ as a member of the Royal Family as she made a surprise appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Kate, 41, looked radiant in a silk ME+EM shirt dress, which her mother Carole has also worn previously, as she turned up unannounced at the event, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.

She paired the dress with her Castaner Carina Espadrille wedges, which she has worn on several public engagements in warmer temperatures. She opted for Zoraida leaf earrings she has worn before, costing £165. Meanwhile her thick brunette locks were hanging down her shoulders.

Camilla’s silk dress, by Fiona Clare, fit perfectly with the theme of the event – with green and white flowers set on a background of midnight blue

Queen Camilla sits on a bench in London Square Community Garden at Chelsea Flower Show

Camilla views a bee house with beekeeper Paula Carnell at the Chelsea Flower Show today

The King and Queen speak with member of the House of Lords Janet Fookes, Piet Oudolf and Judy Ling Wong after awarding them with the Elizabeth Medal of Honour Award

This year, there were flowers as far as the eye could see and even a picnic – but there was only one question a curious schoolchild wanted to ask when he met the Princess of Wales at the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show today.

Do you make the law? No, Kate smiled, before responding: ‘The Prime Minister makes the laws.’

Another asked her what it was like being a member of the royal family. She replied: ‘You have to work hard, but you know the best thing about it is meeting kiddies like you. 

The mother-of-three demonstrated her natural flair with children as she joined school pupils at the event’s first ever Children’s Picnic, where she shared the ‘best thing’ about her royal job and revealed why she’s not allowed to write her name down. 

Kate met youngsters from 10 schools taking part in the RHS Campaign for School Gardening as they sat down to eat, before visiting three of this year’s Show Gardens with them.

On her first visit to the world-famous horticultural show since 2019, the future queen and the children took part in a bug hunt, helped to plan a home-grown meal and discovered how gardens can support wellbeing – something the Princess has been highlighting for several years. 

The princess is known to enjoy the Chelsea Flower Show, an event she has attended several times in the past.

Taking it all in: Queen Camilla views Horatio’s Garden at Chelsea Flower Show this afternoon

King Charles views a water feature inside a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show

Camilla’s dress was decorated with white flowers, set on a background of deep blue

The King and Queen speak with Manoj Malde and Clive Gillmor after they married earlier at Chelsea Flower Show

King Charles with Josie Maughton and Jane Porter at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show today

‘They help support all the different people in the country, showcase all the amazing work being done and look after everyone.’

Asked what her favourite colour was, she encouraged the children to guess, grinning as they correctly answered ‘green’

In The Royal Entomological Society Garden, Kate and the children enjoyed an ‘insect eye view’ of the landscape, which was designed by RHS Chelsea gold medal winner Tom Massey.

Inspired by the rich biodiversity found in area of wasteland, microscopes in an outdoor lab built into a hillside are linked to a movable projector screen, magnifying insects and other bugs for study and identification.

The lab’s is inspired by a compound insect eye and made up of permeable ‘modules’ for insects to enter.

They also visited The Samaritans Listening Garden, which is designed to be a safe space for people to share their struggles.

Kate shook hands with a young school pupil as she carried a bouquet of tulips in her other hand during the visit

The Princess of Wales told children ‘you have to work hard’ as a member of the British Royal Family during her surprise appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show this afternoon

Having a chat: The smiling Princess of Wales speaks to the delighted Chelsea Pensioners

The Princess sat down with schoolchildren and chatted to them as she arrived for the first ever Children’s Picnic

Kate took on the role of mentor as she sat down with the school pupils ahead of a ‘bug hunt’ event

Kate showed her natural affinity with children as she sat down to chat with them during her visit

As she arrived at the Chelsea Flower Show in a surprise appearance, the Princess of Wales appeared to catch someone’s eye and say hello

A gift fit for a princess! Kate carried around a potted plant in a sweet basket as she walked through the event

In 2019, Kate (pictured) even designed her own garden to be featured in the showcase, the Back To Nature Garden

Designed by Darren Hawkes, the space represents an emotional journey, moving from chaos and overwhelm through to a calming and tranquil area. Sculptural oak seats serve as places to talk and listen or reflect on conversations.

Parts of the garden are destined for a permanent site at Samaritans in Truro, with more plants being sent to other branches of the charity.

The princess and the children also enjoyed the outdoor kitchen at The Savills Garden, a blend of ornamental and edible planting designed by RHS gold medal winner Mark Gregory.

The Princess of Wales speaks to the Chelsea Pensioners, after taking part in the first Children’s Picnic at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Beaming! The Princess of Wales was all smiles as she chatted to the Chelsea Pensioners

The Princess of Wales with pupils from schools, after taking part in the first Children’s Picnic at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

All smiles: The Princess of Wales put on an animated display as she chatted to school children

The Princess of Wales with pupils from schools taking part in the first Children’s Picnic at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show features 12 show gardens and more than 70 nurseries in the Great Pavilion. Pictured, Kate at today’s picnic

The picnic aims to bring gardening and nature into the lives of more children, a topic Kate has been passionate about for several years.

Arriving at the event in a pink dress by ME+EM, she sat down on a picnic blanket with children from St Augustine’s Primary School in Hammersmith, asking them: ‘Are any of you keen gardeners? Do you get the chance to plant things at school?

‘What sort of things do you grow and then do you get to eat them? It’s so rewarding isn’t it, when you see plants growing and then you have them on your plate.’

The children discussed vegetables and herbs and the Princess told them: ‘There’s a plant that smells like chocolate. I remember my granny showing me that when I was little. It has very dark leaves and you rub it and it smells like chocolate.’

Told the pupils were growing sunflowers at school, she said: ‘They get so big, don’t they?’ revealing: ‘Louis is growing broad beans at school. You put them in a cup and you can see them roots growing. They get big quickly like sunflowers.’

Picking up a favourite theme, Kate extolled the virtues of spending time outdoors, telling the children: ‘It’s so good for our bodies and our minds.’

She then joined another group from Alec Reed Primary School in Northolt to discuss flowers and plants, admitting that: ‘Lots of the names are in Latin and I can never remember them.’

Kate was shown bug hotels the pupils had made from bundles of hollow bamboo tied with string and before moving on, asked the children to write to her after their visit to tell her ‘how we can make it even better for the kiddies next time.’

Kate (pictured right) wore a silk ME+EM shirt dress, which her mother Carole has also worn previously, for today’s occasion 

The picnic aims to bring gardening and nature into the lives of more children, a topic Kate (pictured) has been passionate about for several years

Ten schools from the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening were invited to bring pupils along to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Pictured, Kate at today’s event

This is the first time the RHS has invited schoolchildren to the event at such a large scale and the hope is that the annual picnic will inspire a future generation of gardeners.

At the Savills garden, the Princess and a group of children from St George’s Church of England Primary School in Camberwell joined designer Mark Gregory to explore the ‘edimental’ garden.

Kate crouched down to pick fennel, mint and other herbs, telling the youngsters, ‘If you rub it between your fingers you can smell it.’

She also pointed out a foxglove, showing the children where the bees climb in to access pollen. ‘The bees love that,’ she said.

There was laughter as the Princess interrupted a group of Chelsea pensioners who were enjoying a starter of chargrilled peas with herbs made by chefs in the walled kitchen garden.

When she asked what was on the menu, gallant diner Harry Puttick, 94, formerly of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers told her: ‘The peas are forgettable – you are not.’

With the chef nearby he joked afterwards: ‘I’d better say the peas were wonderful but it was fantastic to meet the future Queen.’

Later speaking to Mark about her children she said: ‘My kids love being in the natural world but not all kids have access to that.’

Looking good: Billie Piper looked effortlessly stylish on Monday, as she attended the Chelsea Flower Show VIP and press preview day, held at The Royal Hospital in London

Fun day out: Nick Knowles and his girlfriend Katie Dadzie enjoyed a date at the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday

The happy couple: Succession star Matthew Macfadyen made a rare public appearance with his actress wife Keeley Hawes at The Chelsea Flower Show on Monday

Look at us: He sported a tan coloured corduroy blazer with complementary chinos while rocking a wholly un-Tom like smatter of designer stubble for the annual event

Lady Eliza Spencer (left) and Lady Amelia Spencer wore striking summer dresses to the preview of the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday

Stunning: Kelly Hoppen attends the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 22, 2023 in London

Dominic West and Catherine West pose in Horatio’s Garden designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023

Working it: Dominic West poses up a storm as he attends the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday

In the Samaritans garden, the Princess joined pupils from St George’s Church of England Primary School in Wandsworth and Holy Trinity Church of England School in Chelsea.

She pointed out small rocks suspended from a pergola over the walkway, saying: ‘That makes you feel a bit nervous and anxious, doesn’t it?’

Gesturing to the seating under the tree where they were chatting, she added: ‘And then you can come and sit here and it’s all really calm and feels secure.’

Finally Kate joined designer Tom Massey in the Royal Entomological Society’s garden, where children from St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Islington and Glenbrook Primary School in Brixton were identifying bugs and beetles that have entered via the permeable modules in the wall.

‘Bees are already coming in after just three weeks,’ the Princess told the young visitors.

The children, however, were equally keen to have a souvenir from their VIP meeting, asking Kate to sign their sketches.

‘I can’t write my name,’ she told them, ‘but I can draw.’ She drew a flower for Ruby Mann, seven, a tree for another girl and a pond surrounded by plants for a third child.

Asked again about her name, she said: ‘My name’s Catherine. I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules.’

She attempted to draw a palm tree, telling the children, ‘My kiddies like palm trees,’ but added that hers looked more like Holly.

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