King attends first RHS flower show on royal estate

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were greeted by crowds after arriving for the opening day of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) flower show on the Sandringham Estate.

The five-day event is being held for the first time at the monarch's private estate in Norfolk.

King Charles, who became patron of the RHS in 2024, and the Queen presented awards including to a display called The Queen Bee made from upcycled containers – with tin can bees.

Camilla presented Her Majesty the Queen's Special Award for Upcycled Container Gardens to the bee-themed exhibit, which was designed and created by Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Primary School, close to Sandringham.

After handing a framed certificate to two adult representatives from the school, Camilla said that the Queen Bee was "absolutely charming", adding: "A lot of hard work went into that."

King Charles and Camilla also visited the RHS Royal Legacy Garden, designed by Catherine MacDonald in collaboration with the King, and the King said it was "fantastic".

Among the many people visiting the estate for the first time was Agnes Watson from Suffolk, who shook the King's hand.

When asked how soft they were, she said, "soft, probably softer than mine. I'm not sure how much gardening he does."

Ollie was at the show with his daughter, Millie, and said it was the first time she had seen a member of the Royal Family in person.

He said: "It's fantastic and we're looking forward to a nice day out."

Millie, who snapped a photo of the couple in their carriage, said their outfits "looked posh".

The RHS flower show has replaced the annual Sandringham Flower Show, after the estate agreed the RHS could host a horticultural show once every three years at the site.

The Sandringham Flower Show, which dates back to 1881, is run by a trust made up of a committee of volunteers and will return in 2027 and 2028.

The RHS event was accused of being less "affordable" than the estate's previous one-day flower show, but organisers said prices were competitive.

The annual show cost £19 in 2025, with the 2026 event ranging up to £42 for a day ticket.

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