Events, Gardens & Outdoor Events
Join us for a Private Visit to His Majesty The King’s Garden at Highgrove in Gloucestershire on a summer’s afternoon in June 2023, followed by the famous Champagne Afternoon Tea
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We are pleased to announce that our Members are invited for a Private Visit to His Majesty King Charles III’s Estate, Highgrove in Gloucestershire, on Monday, June 19, 2023. The month of June at Highgrove is enchanting. At this time of year the Garden—and the English weather in which to enjoy it—is at its most glorious. It will be a magical time to be there, the recent Coronation adding extra frisson to the occasion
We shall begin this enchanting afternoon with a private, guided tour of the Garden, accompanied by His Majesty’s expert garden guide. From the moment you walk between the impressive pillars at the Garden entrance you begin a journey which reveals one delight after another, each setting giving a glimpse of a wonderful English garden, underpinned by the King’s personal taste and philosophy. While various fine gardeners, including Lady Salisbury, Rosemary Verey and Dame Miriam Rothschild, made contributions, the King humself is hands-on: notwithstanding the small army of gardeners, it is he who makes the decisions.
And as the King says, ‘I have gardened to a certain extent from a painter’s perspective. Each part of the garden is a separate “painting”, the result of ceaseless walking, ruminating and observing those moments of magic when the light becomes almost dreamlike in its illuminating intensity. It is in those moments when you are lost in wonder that such beauty is possible and inspiration can come …’
When the King speaks of the ‘excitement’ of the garden, and how the longed-for arrival of a particular plant ‘becomes a treasured feature of one’s existence’, it is clear that the garden holds deep meaning. This, after all, is his own home garden. As the King says, ‘The Garden is an expression of what I hold dear.’ If you want to understand the King, what makes him tick, how he works, his deep loves, private passions and quiet reflections, the Garden at Highgrove is where the King’s soul is laid bare. It is also a measure of the practical King: here are broad visions and also minor details, ideas with which to transform our own gardens, or simply to enjoy the beauty of an English garden and the creative spirit behind it.
June begins the delphinium season and as this is one of the King’s favourite plants, the garden is bursting with them. He loves to see huge, deep banks of delphiniums arranged with their colourful spikes, co-ordinated to dazzle with a sea of blues, purples and deep pinks.
Highgrove, as with all great gardens, does not reveal its charms all at once. Each garden room contains its own private pleasures, then takes the viewer on to the next scene, with the House sometimes the focus, at others glimpsed through the trees. Close at hand are the Terrace Garden, the Cottage Garden, Thyme Walk, Lily Pool Garden, Sundial Garden and Chelsea award-winning Carpet Garden. Farther afield, the Walled Garden, the Model Fruit Garden, Cutting Garden, Azalea Walk, Lavender Orchard, Southern Hemisphere Garden, Woodland Garden and Arboretum. Among the characteristics of these gardens there is humour: as in the Ego Garden. And pathos: the memorial to Her Majesty The Queen Mother. Strong architectural features: the Temple of Worthies, The Sanctuary (which is indeed treated as a sanctuary by the King) and the Wall of Gifts. Some eccentricities: The Stumpery, for one. National treasures and rarities abound. Highgrove hosts national collections of beech trees and hostas, among others.
Says the King: ‘I have done my utmost to create a kind of archive of rare and endangered fruit, vegetables, trees and plants—which, I hope, will help in a small way to preserve the essential biodiversity on which, ultimately, our survival depends.’ Many English rarities are grown, including varieties now virtually extinct. Underlying it all is the King’s deep-felt conviction that his garden must be self-sufficient, with emphasis on water conservation, green waste recycling, natural pest control and organic fertilisers. As such, the garden works on all levels: beautiful to the eye of any beholder, and an inspiration to gardeners and others wishing to benefit from the King’s experimentation over more than three decades.
Many English rarities are grown, including varieties now virtually extinct. Underlying it all is the Prince’s deep-felt conviction that his garden must be self-sufficient, with emphasis on water conservation, green waste recycling, natural pest control and organic fertilisers. As such, the garden works on all levels: beautiful to the eye of any beholder, and an inspiration to gardeners wishing to benefit from the King’s experimentation over more than three decades.
Wildlife thrives in this environment; from songbirds to dragonflies, butterflies, beetles, newts and bumble bees. The Prince is justifiably proud of his Garden. Heady fragrance is everywhere, scenting the air from all angles—even the Kitchen Garden is scented, with gloriously fragrant sweet peas for the House and crab apple trees in full blossom, alongside the early crops for the King’s table—the rows and beds of vegetables: sweet carrots, lettuce, beetroot, spinach, rhubarb and peas that look too beautiful to pick. A tunnel trained with apple trees deceptively releases the scent of apples, which actually comes from the Sweet Briar Rose (Rosa rubiginosa).
Inspired by the Garden, our appetites whetted by the scents of flowers and herbs, we shall return to the Orchard Room to toast the occasion with a chilled glass of Highgrove Champagne, heralding the delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes of the famous Highgrove Afternoon Tea.
This will be an enjoyable, memorable afternoon, particularly with the Coronation celebrations still ringing in our ears—and at the exclusive price for our Members of only £78 per person, including VAT. We know this will be a popular Members’ event, and numbers are necessarily limited, so please don’t delay!
Book here now for our Private Event at HM The King’s Estate at Highgrove on Monday, June 19, 2023: click here! Or call Member Services on 020 7399 2960. (Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, however you choose to book.)
To extend the pleasure with a night’s stay nearby, we have Club rates at Members’ favourite Calcot & Spa, a charming manor house hotel 10 minutes from Highgrove. To check current availability and best Club rates, please click here to email your request or call Member Services on 020 7399 2960.
¶ Not yet a Member of CountryClubuk? Click here to join us—and then you will be eligible to book for Highgrove Garden!