It is believed that King Charles III will move into Buckingham Palace in the spring of 2023, as is customary for monarchs. However, there is one part of the Royal residence that the newly anointed King may want to change.
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A passion rooted in childhood
As the eldest son of the ruling monarch, the young Prince Charles grew up at Buckingham Palace. And while it is widely believed that the King isn’t particularly fond of the Palace, there is one childhood feature that played a defining role in his life.
According to Hello!magazine, King Charles' passion for gardening was forged during his childhood at Buckingham Palace. In a BBC Radio 4 interview in 2021, the then-Prince of Wales reminisced about one feature in particular: the childhood vegetable patch he shared with his sister, Princess Anne.
The King said:
My sister and I had a little vegetable patch in the back of some border somewhere. We had great fun trying to grow tomatoes rather unsuccessfully.
The King spoke about his close bond with the late Queen’s head gardener, Fred Nutbeam, who helped him and Princess Anne with their labours.
This love of gardening has followed the King throughout his life. He is an advocate for sustainable food production and farming. He also owns an organic farm at Highgrove House, 35 years in the making. According to Express, the farm attracts more than 40,000 visitors yearly.
The King also shares his passion with his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort. They have a vegetable patch at Clarence House, which is said to be Camilla’s favourite thing about the place.
In an interview with her son, Tom Parker Bowles, the Queen Consort said:
I love the vegetable garden […] My husband is an excellent gardener, and we're quite competitive about our fruit and vegetables.
What changes can be expected?
Gardening Express founder, Chris Bonnett, is excited to see the changes the King may bring to the grounds at Buckingham Palace.
According to Chris, the Royal Family has had a long love affair with horticulture, but King Charles is a particularly keen gardener. Chris hopes that despite the King's hectic schedule, he will still be able to spend time gardening.
Bonnett speculates that a large portion of the grounds could be transformed into a vast, organic vegetable patch. Perhaps the King will mirror certain aspects of His Majesty’s Highgrove farm.
According to Bonnett, the King is keen to embrace technology and modern methods if it makes jobs more straightforward and quicker and helps him achieve the garden he wants.
Did you know that Prince Charles was a forerunner of the organic gardening movement? His farm at Highgrove was one of the first in the UK to be certified as fully organic. Charles introduced organic practices in 1985 when the techniques were still quite controversial (Telegraph) pic.twitter.com/zCNIq0MDoH
— The Crown Chronicles (@crownchronicles) July 21, 2018
Bonnett describes an encounter with the then-Prince of Wales on a feature for BBC Countryfile, during which they discussed their shared passion for horticulture. King Charles is reportedly very passionate about future generations learning how to grow their own food and cook healthily. Bonnett speculates that Charles III might arrange for schoolchildren to be able to tend a vegetable patch, thus allowing them to embrace the importance of growing their own food.
Sources used:
- Hello!: 'King Charles' favourite Buckingham Palace childhood feature he'll be keen to restore'
- Express: 'Charles is one to embrace tech': King may transform Buckingham Palace's gardens'
Read more:
⋙ King Charles to star in this upcoming TV show
⋙ King Charles III faces this massive challenge as the UK’s new sovereign
⋙ King Charles: Rare bats, beer and other quirky things he inherited from the Queen
