Tree planted in Prince’s memory
THE Duke of Gloucester has planted a tree in an orchard being created as a tribute to Prince Philip.
The Queen’s cousin was welcomed was joined by Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness at the Duke of Edinburgh Memorial Orchard, in Oakham.
Plans for the memorial garden at the County Showground were announced by the Rutland Lieutenancy in April.
The orchard was funded by public donations and features varieties of rare apple trees native to Rutland.
The Duke met Duke of Edinburgh award scheme students from Oakham School and Catmose College, before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the visit and recognise the Memorial Orchard’s contribution to the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
Dr Furness said: “It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester back to Rutland.
“It was particularly poignant to see him plant the final tree in Rutland’s Duke of Edinburgh Memorial Orchard.
“The orchard has been made possible thanks to the kindness and generosity of local people, all of whom wanted to pay tribute to the life of Prince Philip and see his legacy of environmental stewardship celebrated within our county.”
The Duke then met representatives of the charity For Rutland and visited The Woolroom, a recent winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
Other visits included Hambleton Bakery, in Exton, to discuss the importance of farming and food businesses, and Uppingham, to meet representatives of advocacy service Dying Matters.
The final stop was at Uppingham Community College, where the Duke met with principal Ben Solly and planted a tree in the school’s garden.
Dr Furness said: “It was a pleasure to share so much of what is great about our county – our wonderfully close-knit communities, our generosity of spirit, businesses steeped in tradition and our vibrant young people.”