Celebrate the Coronation at Kew Gardens or Wakehurst this May

Release date: 17 April 2023

  • Celebrate the Coronation of our Patron, His Majesty King Charles III, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • Enjoy a picnic with a view at Kew Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site rooted in royal history
  • Visit Wakehurst’s Coronation Meadow alongside new family sculpture trail ‘Wild Wood’ in Sussex

Celebrate the Coronation of our Patron, His Majesty King Charles III, at one of the two gardens run by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this May.

Whether you’re looking to enjoy a picnic with loved ones, discover more about Kew’s royal history, or take in Kew’s world-record breaking plant collection in full bloom, spend the bank holiday weekend exploring Kew Gardens, the 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site rooted in royal history, or Wakehurst, Kew’s 535-acre wild botanic garden in Sussex.  

Kew’s royal history

Founded in 1759 by Princess Augusta, mother of King George III, Kew Gardens in London began life as a nine-acre botanic garden within the pleasure grounds at Kew. In 1802, King George III united the Richmond and Kew estates, enriching the gardens and establishing Kew Palace* within the grounds before they became a national botanical garden in 1840.

Alongside Kew Palace sits the majestic Queen’s Garden, dedicated exclusively to the plants and architectural styles of the 17th century. Home to the oldest sculptures at Kew, the garden is planted with a range of medicinal herbs and plants, and in May it comes to life with a spectacular archway of golden yellow laburnum. Other royal connections to explore at Kew Gardens this summer include the Princess of Wales Conservatory (named after Princess Augusta), Elizabeth Gate and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage*. Queen Charlotte’s Cottage was the garden retreat of Queen Charlotte and King George III, the historic inspiration behind the forthcoming Netflix series, Queen Charlotte. Though closed on Sat 6 April to mark the Coronation, the cottage is located within the tranquil surroundings of the Natural Area donated to Kew by Queen Victoria on the condition that the area remains in a wilder, untamed state. This secluded spot is home to tall grasses, wildflowers, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies and offers a scenic adventure away from the beaten track. Find out more about Kew’s history.

Visitors to the Princess of Wales Conservatory and Waterlily House will also be able to marvel at the incredible Victoria boliviana waterlily, named after Queen Victoria and officially recognised as the largest waterlily species in the world in 2022.

Enjoy a picnic surrounded by natural wonder

Kew Gardens offers an array of picturesque picnic spots, perfect for enjoying a celebratory afternoon tea, coronation chicken sandwiches or slice of Victoria sponge cake. Cedar Vista offers stunning views of the Great Pagoda*, completed in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta and restored to its original 18th-century splendour in 2018. Elsewhere, the Rose Garden offers magnificent views of the Palm House – the first glasshouse in the world built to this scale when it was constructed 175 years ago. The structure is shaped like the upturned hull of a ship as architects had to borrow techniques from the ship-building industry having never built a glasshouse of this size before.

The magnificent Arboretum, home to over 12,000 trees, offers the perfect shaded spots for picnicking, and encompasses some of Kew’s oldest and rarest trees. Visitors can also soak up the splendour of the early summer Gardens, exploring hidden gems such as the Mediterranean Garden and iconic buildings including the Waterlily House and Temperate House - the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse - which is home to 10,000 of the world’s rarest plants.

Wander through the Coronation Meadow at Wakehurst

The Coronation Meadow at Wakehurst was created in 2015 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation, in response to a call from the then Prince of Wales for new wildflower meadows. This May, the Coronation Meadow will reopen to mark the Coronation weekend. The undulating landscape of British native flowers and grasses boasts sensational views of the Sussex High Weald, and was praised during a visit from King Charles III in 2019. Find out more about Coronation Meadow

Wakehurst has also announced a host of new family activities to mark the Coronation. New trails and children’s play areas have been designed to inspire a passion for the environment, a cause long supported by His Majesty. Brand-new to Wakehurst is Wild Wood, a bespoke sculpture trail opening on 6 May to mark the Coronation celebrations. Located in the heart of Pearcelands Wood, a beautiful 20 acre ancient woodland which is reopening to the public for the first time in three years, the trail of 20 woven structures hand-crafted by Wakehurst staff and local artists, will form an inspiring natural gallery against a dazzling backdrop of bluebells.

King Charles III

Upon the announcement of his patronage in 2016, His Majesty praised Kew for its international reputation as one of the world’s greatest botanic gardens and pioneering scientific research, stating; “I have always had the greatest affection and admiration for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, so I could not be more proud and delighted to have been invited to become Patron of this great institution.”

He was particularly impressed by the newly opened Great Broad Walk Borders at Kew, which he said;

“....are a great way to celebrate the diversity of the plant kingdom in all its astonishing richness - particularly at a time when, as scientists at Kew have stressed, so many of the world's unique plants are under constant threat of extinction. I very much hope that the new borders will attract even more visitors and encourage them to learn about Kew’s exciting role at the heart of global efforts to unlock why plants matter.”

The Great Broad Walk Borders have this year been extended to include beds dedicated to drought-tolerant planting, demonstrating Kew’s commitment to future-proofing the Gardens through the use of its world-leading horticultural expertise. His Majesty has since visited Kew and Wakehurst on several occasions and is a very powerful champion for plants and fungi, supporting our mission and raising awareness of nature’s value worldwide. We thank His Majesty King Charles III for his continued support, and for his lifelong love of nature.

Picnic essentials from Kew Shop

Ends

For more information or images, please contact the Press Office at pr@kew.org / 0208 332 5607

Hi-res media images are available to download here: https://we.tl/t-wyG6C9UGhE

Notes to Editors

 *Kew Palace, the Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage will not be open to the public on Sat 6 May in line with the closure across London of all Historic Royal Palace buildings for Coronation Day. They can still be visited on other days and appreciated outside in the landscape by Kew’s visitors. Please check here when planning your visit to Kew: https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on

**When you shop at Kew you are helping to support and fund our vital conservation work, enabling us to protect, conserve and better understand some of the world’s rarest plants.

His Majesty King Charles III and RBG, Kew

  • In 2000, the Prince of Wales opened the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. This is the world’s biggest wild seed storage facility. Find out about a recent milestone and its international significance here: https://www.kew.org/about-us/press-media/milestone-for-millennium-seed-bank
  • 26 July 2016: The Prince of Wales became the Patron of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • 18 May 2017: The Prince of Wales visited Kew Gardens to see the redeveloped Great Broad Walk Borders, the world’s longest double herbaceous borders and to launch the first State of the World’s Plants report 13 July 2018: The Prince of Wales visited Kew Gardens to celebrate the restoration of the Temperate House and tour the restored Great Pagoda
  • 16 July 2019: The Prince of Wales visited Wakehurst to see the Coronation meadow and the Millennium Seed Bank
  • 20 February 2020: Spoke at Kew’s Plant Health and Biosecurity Conference to highlight biodiversity loss
  • 28 September 2021: Visits Kew Gardens ahead of COP26, including a tour of the Herbarium and visit to Jodrell Laboratory

About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025. Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needs to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 18,000 visitors with £1 tickets.

Wakehurst

Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.

The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. It was then entrusted to us here at Kew in 1965, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas.

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquility, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.

Historic Royal Palaces is a team of people who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. We create space for spirits to stir and be stirred. We want everyone to feel welcome and accepted. We tell stories about the monarchs you know and the lives you don’t. We let people explore and we set minds racing. We are a charity and your support gives the palaces a future, for everyone.  Registered charity number 1068852. For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk