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The RHS announces ‘Catherine’s Rose’ to celebrate The Princess of Wales’ work to highlight healing power of nature

The RHS has named a rose, bred by Harkness Roses, for Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, to celebrate the incredible healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time outdoors plays in bringing us joy and supporting our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
 

‘Catherine’s Rose’, a stunning floribunda, has subtle coral-pink blooms, which are produced in abundance, and have a rich perfume with hints of Turkish Delight and mango.  With flowers that attract pollinators, Catherine’s Rose will thrive in a mixed border, as a hedge, in a large container or in a rose bed.
 
Funds from the sale of Catherine’s Rose will go to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to help The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust establish a unique training programme for clinical teams across the country. This specialist prehabilitation and rehabilitation programme will help to ensure patients who need intensive support live well with, and beyond, cancer. 
 
Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, said: “As well as supporting the incredible work of The Royal Marsden, Catherine’s Rose will raise awareness of how nature and gardening can help to heal.  We know how important this message is as every day we see how accessing nature and being outside is vital for our health and happiness.
 
“Crucially too, Harkness Roses has done a wonderful job breeding this spectacular rose that is going to bring so much joy to all our nation’s gardeners and keep our precious pollinators buzzing too!  It’s a really special rose.”
 
Philip Harkness, Managing Director, Harkness Roses, said: “We’re delighted the RHS is naming this stunning floribunda rose for The Princess of Wales, celebrating wellness and nature.  It is a privilege for Harkness Roses to work with The Royal Marsden where donations of this beautiful rose will help raise funds for this vital charity.”
 
Dame Cally Palmer, Chief Executive, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As a specialist cancer centre, The Royal Marsden’s mission is to ensure every patient has the care and support they need to achieve the best outcome and patient experience.
 
“Every rose sold will help The Royal Marsden establish a unique training programme for clinical teams across the country in prehabilitation and rehabilitation techniques which make such a difference to patient care.
 
“We are honoured to have Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales as Joint Patrons of our specialist cancer centre and we are very grateful to The Princess and the Royal Horticultural Society for setting up this initiative and for the benefit it will bring to cancer patients everywhere.”
 
The Roses will be available to purchase from today, Friday 9 May, via roses.co.uk and rhsplants.co.uk.  Catherine’s Rose will be available by pre-order only and Roses will be delivered in Autumn 2025 as bare root plants.  For every plant sold £5 will be donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
 
There will be 15,000 Catherine’s Rose available in 2025.  The bare root rose will be £29.99 and potted plant £34.99.  Further Catherine’s Roses will be available in Spring and Autumn 2026.
 
Ends
 

Notes to editors

For further information and images please get in touch with [email protected]
 
Harkness Roses: Description of rose
 
Catherine’s Rose (Harzenith) is a stunning floribunda. The highlights are a mid to dark coral-pink colour, a rich perfume, with hints of Turkish Delight and mango. The flowers that treat us to the beautiful perfume and the subtle coral-pink shades are produced in startling abundance. Clusters can have up to 15 blooms, each flower measuring between 8 and 12 cm. The plant that supports these beautiful blooms is robust and bushy. In average conditions it will grow to about 1.2m tall by 90 cm wide. There is so much good in Catherine’s Rose, even our environment will benefit from the way the flowers attract pollinators as the flowers open. A resilient rose, Catherine’s Rose will thrive in a mixed border, as a hedge, large container or in a specific rose bed. The Rose’s serene beauty with its sweet strong perfume, are almost bound to give us a little spike in our endorphins, making us feel that our world is a better place.
 
About The Royal Marsden and the unique training programme funded by Catherine’s Rose
 
Every two minutes, someone will hear the devastating news that they have cancer.
 
Access to the very best cancer care available - care that improves a person’s health and wellbeing, prioritises their quality of life, and maintains their independence is vital. Cancer diagnosis and treatment affect every person differently. No two experiences are the same, and some patients will need additional support before, throughout – and beyond - their treatment.
 
Clinical teams across the country will have the opportunity to  understand how they can use a variety of personalised, supportive techniques, alongside standard treatment options, to help their patients achieve the best possible outcome.
 
The Royal Marsden, as a specialist cancer centre, sets the standard for personalised cancer treatment and care in the UK and beyond. Our award-winning services have shown that early and intensive support from dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and pain specialists makes an enormous difference to patient experience. 
 
Funds from the sale of Catherine’s Rose will go to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to help The Royal Marsden establish a unique training programme for clinical teams across the country. This specialist prehabilitation and rehabilitation programme will help to ensure patients who need intensive support live well with, and beyond, cancer. 
 
About the RHS
 
We’re the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow.  Our mission is to be there on people’s lifelong journey with gardening – to bring happiness, health, stronger communities and a thriving natural world.  With 220 years of experience, we support gardeners of all ages with expert advice, community and schools projects, scientific research, professional qualifications, our five RHS Gardens, and events including the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
 
About The Royal Marsden and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
The Royal Marsden opened in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education. Today it operates as a specialist cancer centre  and, together with its principal academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), is designated as the UK’s only National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) dedicated solely to cancer.
 
Together, The Royal Marsden and the ICR are recognised internationally as one of the top comprehensive cancer centres in the world for the impact of their research, seeing and treating over 60,000 NHS and private patients every year. It is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground‑breaking research and for pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies, as well as leading the way in innovative cancer diagnosis and education.
 
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. It ensures The Royal Marsden’s world-leading nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world. 
 
About Harkness Roses 1879
 
World-leading breeders, Harkness Roses 1879, is the oldest rose breeding and growing company in the UK.
 
The company was founded in 1879 in Bedale, Yorkshire, by brothers John and Robert Harkness. Now based in Hitchin, Harkness Roses remains a thriving, family-run business with more than 200 varieties grown and bred from its dedicated breeding programme, led by Managing Director Philip Harkness and his team.
 
Harkness Roses 1879 has a long history of supplying and creating the nation’s favourite flower, dating back to Queen Victoria who purchased roses from Harkness and Sons in the 1890s.
 
Harkness Roses 1879 has a rich past with RHS Chelsea Flower Show, having first exhibited at the inaugural show in 1913. Their passion for rose growing and cultivating the very best flowers has won them many awards across the world, including at Chelsea.
 
With a collection growing every year, welcoming new varieties, Harkness roses are proud to partner with many amazing charities to help raise vital funds and awareness bringing people together at the wonderful RHS shows where we promote the importance of wellbeing and gardening.

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.