Kate Middleton to design garden at Chelsea Flower Show
Just days after it was revealed that Meghan Markle has taken on four key royal roles, the Duchess of Cambridge has an exciting announcement of her own.
The Duchess of Cambridge will design a garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show this year.
Kensington Palace made the announcement in London as Kate, the wife of Prince William, made an appearance at a community garden in London’s Islington for her first engagement of 2019.
Catherine, 37, cut a casual figure in her trademark skinny jeans and a khaki tweed jacket by Irish brand Dubarry.
The Duchess grew up in rural England and has always loved the outdoors and the natural environment.
In her royal role she seeks to use her public profile to promote the benefits nature has on physical and mental health.
Kensington Palace said the Duchess would work with the Royal Horticultural Society and landscape architects Davies White to design and build the RHS garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
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The show, which has been held every year in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital since 1913, is the world’s best-known flower show and is strongly supported by the royal family.
The palace said Catherine would be encouraging children, families and communities to get back to nature through the garden, which will be designed as a woodland, with wild plants and natural materials.
She has been working on the garden for three months and will continue to finalise the design before the show in May.
The 200-year-old Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s main gardening charity.
“The Duchess is a strong advocate for the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development, demonstrated by her longstanding support for organisations including the Scouts and Farms for City Children, as well as at more recent engagements to Sayers Croft Forest School and Wildlife Garden, the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, and her visit today to Islington Community Garden,’’ Kensington Palace said.
Mother-of-three Catherine visited the King Henry’s Walk garden in Islington to see how the community gardening projects is bringing communities together. It was her first public engagement of the year.
Run by volunteers, it provides gardening plots for residents to grow flowers and vegetables, encourages organic farming methods and runs education programs.
Catherine took part in planting workshops, learned how to make bird boxes, and joined residents making pizzas in the kitchens attached the gardens.
News of Kate's Chelsea garden project comes just a week after it was revealed that Meghan Markle has taken over from the Queen patronages of the National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
The Duchess will also become a patron of Smart Works, which services women who are long-term unemployed, and the historic Mayhew charity, which teaches responsible pet ownership and animal welfare to young people.
Originally published as Kate Middleton to design garden at Chelsea Flower Show
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