Sir David Beckham had a friendly reunion with King Charles III. Beckham met with the King and Queen Camilla at the Chelsea Flower Show, the world’s most prestigious gardening exhibition, hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This year’s edition featured a garden with input from Beckham and Charles themselves, alongside other notable figures like the leading horticulturalist and TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh.
The event was filled with special moments, chief among them a rose named after Beckham himself.
As reported by HOLA! Spain, the idea came from his youngest daughter, Harper, who commissioned the rose to celebrate his 50th birthday. The flower made its debut at an event attended by Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Queen’s sister, Annabel Elliot, who was photographed with Beckham.
The Sir David Beckham rose opens from pink buds, revealing luminous white petals touched with blush and pale yellow. As described, the rose has a complex fragrance that carries notes of banana, honeyed musk, and hints of nougat, clove, and myrrh. British garden enthusiasts can now grow the rose at home. Part of the sale of the proceeds will be donated to The King’s Foundation, where Beckham serves as an ambassador.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III in 1990, back when he served as the Prince of Wales, with the intent of building sustainable communities.
During his time at the show, the King stopped to smell the new bloom and admired an installation by Hamish Powell, which incorporated the rose alongside the King’s Rose, which was unveiled at last year’s show.
A Shared Passion for the Garden
Visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show can also explore the RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden, which received input from Beckham and Charles.
© Getty ImagesIn the past, the two have bonded over their shared passion for gardening and the outdoors, hoping to inspire people to discover the joy of horticulture. The garden, designed by horticulturalist and TV presenter Frances Tophill, is immersive and full of colour, and features an oak-framed building housing a museum of garden curiosities. It showcases seven raised beds, a nod to Beckham’s famous number 7 soccer jersey, and includes delphiniums, one of the King’s favourite flowers.
Gnomes Are Back
This year’s edition of the flower show has a playful addition. For the second time in the history of the Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS has lifted its ban on gnomes, this time raising funds for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. The ban was first introduced in 1927 and was previously lifted in 2013 to mark the show’s centenary.
The gnomes connect to a tradition at Highgrove, the King’s residence in Gloucestershire, where a gnome is often found in the Stumpery. The garden also features a beehive, inspired by the King’s and Beckham’s shared enthusiasm for beekeeping and producing honey.
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