Queen visits Chelsea Flower Show in first public appearance since royal wedding
The Queen has made her first public appearance since the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, visiting the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Wearing a pale pink wool coat and a matching pale pink floral patterned dress, she stepped out on Monday afternoon, along with other royals, including the Princess Royal and Prince Andrew.
The Queen was greeted in the evening sunshine by the president of the Royal Horticultural Society, Sir Nicholas Bacon, who was at the royal wedding on Saturday.
Her Majesty’s 45-minute tour included the RHS Feel Good Garden, celebrating 70 years of the National Health Service and highlighting the positive impact of horticulture on mental health.
The Queen was very interested in the garden, designed by Matt Keightley, asking where it would be moved to after the show.
The Queen also saw the Welcome To Yorkshire Garden, inspired by the Yorkshire Dales, which has a stream running through, and a small cottage in the middle.
One of the biggest attractions at the show is the Wuhan Water Garden, which has a large water fountain and is designed to showcase the natural landscape of Hubei Province, China.
The garden, which sits on the famous “triangle site” was designed by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins, who were on hand to show the Queen their work.
At the garden, the Queen was presented with a colourful nature-themed silk scarf, with two whales printed in the middle.
After the tour, all the royals headed to a private reception with members of the RHS.
The Chelsea Flower Show has been a staple in the royal calendar since Queen Alexandra opened it in 1913. Since her coronation in 1953, Elizabeth II has missed only two years of the event. She is patron of the Royal Horticultural Society, which was founded in 1804.
Earlier in the day, a stream of politicians and celebrities visited the gardens, set in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, just by the Thames.
Theresa May was one of the first through the gates, with her husband Philip. One garden which particularly caught her eye was the ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ entry.
According to the Times, Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said the Prime Minister “was pointed to the cowpat” in the exhibition and she said: ‘How wonderful.’
Other well known faces included gardening broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, TV presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby and Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
This year, 168,000 visitors are set to see over 500 exhibits, including gardens, nurseries, floristry, educational displays and trade stands.