Queen Camilla's gnome fever inspires Chelsea's celebrity garden takeover

Queen Camilla has long been passionate about her gardens, but her taste also has a quirky side, with a fondness for one of the garden world’s most debated decorations, the humble gnome.

The Queen has never hidden her affection for the pint-sized figures, once joking in a TV documentary that there’s “gnome place like home.” 

And while her gardens including her Wiltshire retreat feature these cheeky ornaments tucked among greenery and rustic stumperies, they’ve long been considered a step too far for the famously refined RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The long-standing ban on gnomes at Chelsea is being lifted only the second time in the show’s 114-year history. 

The decision has been influenced in part by King Charles III, whose own gardens at Highgrove quietly feature a gnome nestled within a woodland-style stumpery.

Backing the move are some high-profile names, including David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh, all supporting the King’s Foundation “Curious Garden” initiative. 

The project aims to spark interest in gardening among younger generations and encourage careers in environmental and rural crafts.

Organisers say the decision is about adding a sense of fun to the floral spectacle. 

Especially designed “celebrity gnomes” will appear at the show before being auctioned off, with proceeds helping fund school gardening programmes and inspire children to get their hands in the soil.

It’s not the first time Chelsea has flirted with gnome fever. Back in 2013, for the show’s centenary celebrations, famous faces like Helen Mirren and Davina McCall created their own decorative versions, which were later sold to support similar causes.

The story of the garden gnome itself stretches back centuries, with origins in 18th-century Germany.