Fascinating facts...

First created in 1990, the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show has become the world's largest flower show.

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was not founded by the RHS: it was created by Historic Royal Palaces and Network Southeast, and first held in 1990. In 1992 Network Southeast announced that it was withdrawing its subsidy, and the RHS was the successful bidder to take the show over. The first RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was held in 1993, and it has gone on to become the world’s largest flower show.

Did you know?

For the first Hampton Court Shows, Network Southeast laid on special trains from Waterloo, and the railway porters all wore carnations in their hats.

The British Rose Festival was introduced in the second Show, in 1991.

In 1998, a Hampton Court model garden was rebuilt at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability in Putney.

In 1998, Leyhill Open Prison won a Gold Medal for a garden at Hampton Court. This incident provided the basis for the film Greenfingers (2001), starring Helen Mirren.