King and Queen set to open new garden celebration amid tribute to rose legend

King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to celebrate Britain’s love of horticulture as they attend the first-ever Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Sandringham Flower Show on Wednesday.

The King and Queen will arrive by carriage at Sandringham Estate on Wednesday, where they are expected to meet leading gardeners, exhibitors and horticultural experts taking part in the inaugural RHS event.

Running from 22 to 26 July, the new RHS show replaces the long-running annual Sandringham Flower Show and will bring a fresh format to the Norfolk estate.

Under an agreement with Sandringham, the RHS will hold the event once every three years, creating a major new fixture in the UK gardening calendar.

The event will feature floral displays, specialist growers, garden designs, talks and demonstrations celebrating the skill and creativity of Britain’s horticultural community. 

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore exhibits highlighting sustainability, wildlife-friendly gardening and the future of planting.

The estate, which has been a private country retreat for generations of monarchs, remains a place where the Royal Family has promoted environmental awareness and appreciation for the natural world.

Ahead of the opening, the horticultural world also paid tribute to David Austin, the renowned rose breeder and chairman of David Austin Roses, whose death was announced this week.

Austin leaves behind a remarkable legacy, having helped transform his family’s nursery into one of the world’s most respected names in rose cultivation.