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Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Beckham teams up with King and Queen at Chelsea Flower Show
The King and Queen joined forces with David Beckham at the Chelsea Flower Show before the launch of a joint initiative to encourage more young people to work in horticulture. Beckham, who was last year named an ambassador of the King's Foundation, met the King and Queen at the Highgrove stand in the world-famous event in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The former England footballer, who previously swapped bee-keeping tips with the King, is backing the foundation's new campaign. The project, to be launched later this year, is designed to inspire young people to take up careers in horticulture. It will also be backed by Alan Titchmarsh, the TV presenter and King's Foundation ambassador who joined Beckham and the King at RHS Chelsea. The King carried a traditional country fair walking stick. He 'loves' such crooks and has collections of them at all his residences, a source said. On display at the Highgrove shop stand was the King's Rose, a new pink-and-white bloom named in the monarch's honour. The flower was created by David Austin Roses in collaboration with the King's Foundation, and has been carefully nurtured by the King's gardeners at Highgrove for the last three years. The King was due to pull back a curtain to officially open the shop and reveal the roses, proudly displayed in a Highgrove wicker basket. For every rose sold, £2.50 will be donated to the foundation. The name was inspired by David Austin's first encounter with the King, then Prince of Wales, at Chelsea in the 1990s, when they discovered that they had both grown the similarly-striped Ferdinand Pichard as the first rose in their garden. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also toured RHS Chelsea on Monday evening, as did Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Among the gardens on the King's tour was the Hospice UK: Garden of Compassion, which draws on the spirit of Mediterranean landscapes to show thoughtfully designed spaces can help provide comfort and calm at the end of life. The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year and continues to receive weekly treatment. Beckham has become increasingly close to the royals since becoming an ambassador for the King's Foundation. In December, both David and his fashion designer wife Victoria joined the King and Queen at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, held in honour of the Qatari ruler. In February, the couple were among the King's guests at a black tie dinner at Highgrove to celebrate Anglo-Italian relations and the following month, Victoria Beckham was invited to Buckingham Palace for a Women of the World event hosted by the Queen. Beckham is also on friendly terms with the Prince of Wales, whom he joined last October to celebrate the replacement of London's ageing air ambulance helicopters. His latest appearance alongside the King coincides with a seemingly bitter family feud which has seen Beckham's elder son, Brooklyn, increasingly estranged from his parents and siblings. A source close to Brooklyn, 26, told the Telegraph last week that he and his wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham, the daughter of Nelson Peltz, the US billionaire, feel that they have no meaningful private connection with the family and that he has been made to feel like an 'idiot' and 'stupid'. The younger Beckhams were recent guests at a Montecito party attended by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, where Peltz, 30, and Meghan were said to have found 'common ground' over being cast as meddling American wives breaking up Britain's most famous families. The source told The Telegraph the young couple had 'found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous' at the gathering, hosted by Brian Robbins, a neighbour of the Sussexes in Montecito and the chief executive of Paramount, the media company. The encounter drew comparisons between both family rifts, with the Sussexes still similarly estranged from the rest of the Royal family. Monty Don's dog-themed garden Meanwhile, the King and Queen viewed several gardens at RHS Chelsea, including the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed by Monty Don. The garden, designed with dogs in mind, features grass areas for dogs to enjoy and a large tree providing shade. The brick paths are inscribed with the names of dogs belonging to Radio 2 presenters and RHS ambassadors, as well as Bluebell, the Queen's Jack Russell Terrier, Moley, her new puppy, and Snuff, the King's dog. The garden will be transplanted to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, of which the Queen is patron, when the flower show ends. The King also visited the King's Trust Garden, inspired by the potential of the more than one million young people supported by the charity since it was founded in 1976. The garden showcases the ability of seeds to adapt and flourish in hostile environments, drawing parallels with the resilience of young people who can overcome adversity and thrive when given the right support. Another stop on the royal tour was the Wildlife Trust's British Rainforest Garden, designed to evoke the wild and wet woodlands that once swathed the British west coast. Beckham also visited the London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden, designed by Dave Green, an accessible and secluded space to be based at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the famous Chelsea Pensioners.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Paul Hollywood and his wife Melissa Spalding enjoy rare joint outing as they attend Chelsea Flower Show
Paul Hollywood and his wife Melissa Spalding enjoyed a rare outing together on Monday as they arrived at the opening day of Chelsea Flower Show. The Great British Bake Off judge, 59, was seen walking ahead of the former pub landlady as they crossed the road to enter the London event. Paul, who tied the knot with Melissa in Cyprus in 2023, cut a smart figure in a blue shirt which he teamed with denim jeans and a black jacket. The celebrity chef kept comfortable in a pair of blue trainers and placed a pair of sunglasses on top of his head. Meanwhile Melissa stunned in a colourful patterned midi dress which she paired with a green blazer and handbag. Styled her long brunette tresses loose, she completed her ensemble with a pair of eye catching orange flat shoes and a pair of drop gold earrings. Once inside, Paul beamed as he reunited with Bake Off co-star Prue Leith, 85, who looked incredible in a yellow blazer and white trousers. She layered the summery jacket over a colourful patterned blouse and donned a pair of white trainers which boasted multi coloured laces. Paul and Prue joined other guests exploring the vast flower show which spans over 20 acres. Established in 1913, the event in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is a hotspot for celebrity visitors ahead of its public opening. This year, a staggering 145,000 people - including members of the royal family - are expected to enjoy the 400-plus exhibits. Several themes including innovation are on display at the 2025 event, with it aiming to showcase the power the natural world can have on people's health and wellbeing. Last year, Paul and his wife won Melissa's bitter planning row with locals to turn her pub into a house. Melissa and Paul had put more than £80,000 of their own cash into trying to save The Chequers, near Ashford, Kent. But they said it was no longer viable as a business, so her family submitted plans to turn it into a home earlier last year. But this hit massive local opposition, with residents even forming a campaign group to try and buy the pub and run it as a community. Melissa had told councillors that her parents had spent even larger sums trying to keep it afloat but said the business was 'dying on its feet'. In August last year at a meeting of Ashford Borough Council planning committee, councillors voted seven to five in favour of turning it into a residential property. This was met with anger from locals who believe the village of Smarden will now be 'ruined' as a result. One local told MailOnline: 'It is a travesty. It will ruin the village. I hope it makes them both very happy and a lot of money. But this will leave the village in a much worse-off position. 'What message does this send out to other places and villagers? What sort of importance is being placed on pubs in communities these days? None at all. 'I really hoped it could be kept as a pub and be the hub of the village. Instead it will be a home. I am sure it will be a lovely home but it will not benefit the rest of the village.'
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jennifer Saunders makes a rare appearance with husband Ade Edmondson at the Chelsea Flower Show
Jennifer Saunders cut a stylish figure in a long dark patterned jacket as she attended the Chelsea Flower Show with her husband Ade Edmondson on Monday. The actress, 66, was all smiles as she cosied up to her actor husband, 68, who she tied the knot with in 1985, for photos at the star-studded event. Jennifer layered her jacket over a long navy blouse and skinny black trousers while keeping comfortable in a pair of white trainers. The comedian toted her belongings around in a white and black checked tote bag and carried a pair of sunglasses. She completed her daytime ensemble by accessorising with a pair of large silver hoop earrings and a trendy blue and white silk neck scarf. Meanwhile Ade cut a smart figure for the London event, donning a blue shirt tucked into a pair of navy trousers. He added a grey blazer over the top and opted for comfortable footwear in a pair of blue suede loafers. The couple were all smiles as they cosied up for photos while exploring the vast flower show which spans over 20 acres. Established in 1913, the event in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is a hotspot for celebrity visitors ahead of its public opening. This year, a staggering 145,000 people - including members of the royal family - are expected to enjoy the 400-plus exhibits. Several themes including innovation are on display at the 2025 event, with it aiming to showcase the power the natural world can have on people's health and wellbeing. The couple's appearance comes after they finally got planning permission to create their dream retirement home in Dartmoor. The pair had submitted an initial planning application to Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority in August 2024 detailing plans for a significant renovation to the £2m property but became embroiled in a dispute. The comedians' plans had looked to 'reinforce the setting and significance' of their plush property before a building conservation officer hit back at their proposal. In a statement included in the planning application, the officer argued the proposed changes would have 'no benefit' to the public. 'As the application currently stands the impact of the proposals on the significance of the listed buildings and their setting has not been minimised,' the officer continued. However, after six months of consultation with the local authority, Edmondson and Saunders have finally received 'conditional approval' to begin construction on their dream retirement home. Amongst a host of alterations, the married pair will soon be able to enjoy a new 'dedicated pottery workspace', a plush new garden pavilion and some new EV chargers for their Tesla motor. Described as a 'space to facilitate the clients' personal interests in the planning application, the pottery workshop will be a place in which the pair can enjoy what is described as their 'hobby'. To be erected at the bottom of the couple's sprawling garden, a brand new 'oak frame garden pavilion' will offer Saunders and Edmonson a 'covered outdoor dining space' in a 'discrete location.'
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Gardening with a more ‘natural' feel takes centre stage at Chelsea Flower Show
Nature is making its mark on this year's Chelsea Flower Show, with gardens showcasing wild habitats, resilient landscapes and natural planting. Celebrities are getting a first glimpse of this year's show on Monday, before the King and Queen tour the annual horticultural event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea celebrating all things gardening. And designers say many of the gardens this year have a 'very natural feeling', as people crave a connection with nature, with gravel paths bleeding into planting, paving with moss and plants growing through it and native plants from foxgloves to cow parsley featuring at the show. Nigel Dunnett, whose Hospitalfield Arts Garden grown in sand evokes the Arbroath coast where the charity is based, said the sand-growing approach was a 'hot topic' at the moment, as the UK struggles with a dry spring and the extremes of climate change loom. And he said his garden was 'plant-filled', trying to fill as much of the space as they could with plants. 'That's a common thing around most of the gardens. They do have a very natural feeling,' he said. 'Creating this immersive natural experience is something that people are really craving, rather than hard landscapes. 'It's this connection with nature, which so many of us are now losing, and gardens and public places in cities are real opportunities to reintroduce people to.' The garden is being relocated to a primary school in Arbroath after the show, and he added there was a 'duty' to reconnect children with nature so that future generations could have the spark that prompts a love of gardening. One of the most natural gardens at this year's show is the Wildlife Trusts' rainforest garden, highlighting Atlantic temperate rainforest habitat which once covered western coasts of Britain, the island of Ireland and the Isle of Man, but has shrunk from about a fifth of land to just 1%. The garden highlights efforts by the trusts, in partnership with insurance company Aviva, to restore and protect the habitat, and show how nature-friendly gardening can help British wildlife. The garden's designer, Zoe Claymore, said: 'We are going for perfectly imperfect and celebrating joy and life.' She described the garden as organised chaos, pointing to trees 'on the wonk' to showcase nature's resilience, native plants and trees such as Welsh poppies, bluebells, cowslips and foxgloves, and highlighting mosses and ferns as the 'stars of the show'. 'More wild is perfection, because perfection in horticulture isn't about everything the same, it's about the joy and connection plants bring you and nurture your soul,' she said. 'I think a more wild garden is more what it is to be human.' And Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at the Wildlife Trusts, said the garden featured species such as cow parsley, which was a common hedgerow plant that many thought of as a weed but was 'beautiful'. He said that since Victorian times, it was understood that gardens and green spaces could bring the countryside into the urban realm and benefit people's health and mental health. But a typical garden centre was filled with plastic and pesticides and had become artificial. 'I'm not saying all of that is bad, but actually, what we need to do is return back to this concept of bringing the countryside back into your piece of green space because you'll get the benefits from that.' He said the garden was peat and insecticide-free, and with native trees and plants, to help showcase how to 'bring some of the wild to our city spaces'. Elsewhere, dogs have been given a rare chance to access the Chelsea Flower Show, with Monty Don's dog Ned among those checking out the dog garden, which the TV gardener helped create alongside the organisers, the Royal Horticultural Society and BBC Radio 2. Mr Don revealed a fox had slept in the garden over the weekend and highlighted some key features, including a dog house where they are 'allowed to lie on the sofas', a gate that leads out to an 'imaginary countryside' for walks and a lawn looking 'quite trashed already'. 'Having said I would never, under any circumstances, do a show garden anywhere, let alone at Chelsea, the RHS persuaded me by bringing dogs into the equation and I can't resist the combination of dogs and gardens, which I've always had,' he said. 'So from the outset this was a garden intended to be for an owner of dogs and I wanted it to be a very simple garden. There's no message, there's no hidden back story. It is what it is. What you see is what you get.' The garden, which will not be judged, will be relocated to nearby Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, with Mr Don adding: 'We're here for a week but hopefully (in) Battersea forever.'
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Joanna Lumley and Felicity Kendal lead the best dressed at the Chelsea Flower Show
1 of 18 The Chelsea Flower Show 2025 has arrived. For fashion fans, just as interesting as the prize-winning displays is the sartorial spectacle on offer in the scenic grounds of London's Royal Hospital Chelsea. While floral and botanical prints remain a perennial favourite, there's also an abundance of spring-ready pastels, pretty pinks and earthy linens on show – for men as well as women. Joanna Lumley and Felicity Kendal struck just the right note, as did a host of other star-studded arrivals. Scroll on for the best-dressed from everyone's favourite green-fingered occasion.
