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The King and Queen visit RHS Sandringham Flower Show 2026

Their Majesties met garden designers, presented special awards and greeted visitors during their tour of the new RHS Flower Show in Norfolk

King Charles III and Queen Camilla made the opening of the RHS Sandringham Flower Show even more magical this morning, Wednesday 22 July, when they paid a special visit to the first RHS Flower Show taking place on their much-loved country retreat.

Soon after the gates opened to the public, Their Majesties arrived on a royal carriage drawn by white horses, greeting hundreds of visitors around the showground.

The tour started with the presentation of the King’s Biodiversity Award, a prize created exclusively for the show that celebrates outstanding design with biodiversity at its heart. As a big advocate of biodiversity, the King chose the Show Garden Mindful Chef’s Gathering as the winner.

Sophie Godber received the King’s Biodiversity Award from the King
“The honour of receiving the King’s Biodiversity Award, and having His Majesty personally select our garden, is beyond anything I could have imagined when I first began designing Mindful Chef’s Gathering,” said designer Sophie Godber.

“This garden demonstrates how we can put biodiversity at the heart of our outdoor spaces and extend those benefits across our neighbourhoods, while growing fresh, healthy food, nurturing the soil and creating beautiful, vibrant planting that supports pollinators. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

The visit continued on The RHS Royal Legacy Garden, designed by Catherine MacDonald in collaboration with the King to celebrate his life-long love of gardening and the role gardeners play in championing the environment. Laura Strand and Sam Stark-Kemp, designers of The RHS Crafted from Nature Garden, were also honoured with a visit by the King and Queen on their garden.

The King and Queen on The RHS Royal Legacy Garden with Catherine MacDonald
Laura Strand and Sam Stark-Kemp took the King around The RHS Crafted from Nature Garden
Their Majesties enjoyed greeting exhibitors and visitors along the way, shaking hands and spending time chatting to visitors both young and old – and even to some four legged friends.

Children meeting the King during the royal tour at RHS Sandringham
His Majesty was also greeted by very special visitors
The final stop was at the Upcycled Containers where the Queen presented two first-of-their-kind awards. The Queen’s Choice of Upcycled Containers award was given to The Pollinator Patch, an old beehive composter planted with a mixture of bee-friendly plants by Whissonsett & District Horticultural Society & Gardening Club. Her Majesty also handed the Special Award for Upcycled Containers to The Queen Bee, a planter built by Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Primary School.

The Pollinator Patch upcycled container received the Queen’s Choice of Upcycled Containers award
The Queen Bee upcycled container was awarded the Special Award for Upcycled Containers
“It’s a really exciting achievement considering that each of our 154 pupils helped to create this installation,” said Head Teacher at Ingoldisthorpe Julia Norman. “We’ll display the certificate at the entrance of our school alongside a picture of our upcycled container.”

Eszter Nemeth and Colin Jones of Roualeyn Fuchsias with the King
As a final surprise, the King presented the Best Exhibit in the Floral Marquee award to Roualeyn Fuchsias. “It’s always an honour to get recognition for our work, even more if it comes from the King!” said wife and husband duo Eszter Nemeth and Colin Jones, who also won a Gold medal. “The King was impressed with the standard of our display and was enthusiastic about the fuchsias. Receiving this award from his hands was an amazing experience – the icing on the cake.”

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The Royal Family

The Royal Horticultural Society has a long-standing and treasured relationship with the Royal Family, dating back to 1858 when Prince Albert became RHS President, and in 1861 bestowed the Royal Charter.

The Royal Family

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