This gardening is child’s play...
Duchess welcomes own children to her rustic wonderland at Chelsea show
Prince George and Princess Charlotte enjoy the delights of the ‘woodland wonderland’ garden co-designed by their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Prince Louis also joined his parents on the outing
SHE has often spoken about the importance of children getting outdoors and back to nature. And when Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis made a visit to see their mother at work, this was no exception.
The Duchess of Cambridge has welcomed her three children into the woodland wonderland she has designed for the Chelsea Flower Show, as the family made a private visit ahead of the grand unveiling.
With bare feet – all the better for paddling in streams and climbing on stepping stones – the children looked right at home as they wielded sticks, stones and handfuls of mud to play with the Duke and Duchess.
It is the first time George, five, Charlotte, four, and Louis, 13 months, have been photographed visiting one of their parents’ official projects.
They were also able to admire their own handiwork, pointing out the leaves, pine cones, sticks and moss they collected in the countryside of their Norfolk home especially for the RHS Chelsea garden. Elements of the garden have been inspired by their favourite outdoor play, including a rustic garden den made from hazel sticks collected by the children, with the Duchess hoping to emphasise the importance of all families getting “back to nature”.
In the run-up to the show, the Duchess said: “I feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children.
“I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors.”
She has been liaising with designers Andree Davies and Adam White over plans for the garden for months, with the team spending four days planting on-site at Chelsea this week.
The family visit was a chance for her children to test out the rope swing, stream and climbing rocks, with Louis carefully inspecting a stone with the help of the Duchess and the Duke.
One image shows Louis clutching a long stick and toddling towards the photographer: his first steps captured on camera.
The images, taken by Matt Porteous, are a very rare glimpse into the lives of the Cambridge children.
Their visit was intended in part to underline the Duchess’s message about the benefits of outdoor play in early years’ development, intended to be the focus of her work for years to come.
Visiting children will take part in activities including pooh sticks and making small boats out of reeds to float along a stream.
The garden is designed to be robust enough to withstand a steady stream of small visitors. Beetroot, carrots, strawberries and wild rhubarb are planted to show the link between nature and the dinner plate.
Today, the Queen will become one of the first people to see the finished garden.