Philip’s passion for gardening is revealed

THE DUKE of Edinburgh wrote a letter to Ilkley-born TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh to detail the work he had done in the parks of royal residences.

The broadcaster read excerpts from the cherished note as he appeared in the BBC’s coverage of Philip’s funeral in Windsor.

Titchmarsh said the Duke had a keen interest in gardening and added he would remember “being kept on my toes when I was with him”.

He said the Duke had two different ways he would look at someone – with “a twinkly eye or beady eye” – and revealed they spoke about many topics to do with looking after the parks, as Philip was custodian of 5,000 acres of Windsor Great Park.

He continued: “Did he ever do anything half heartedly? He did everything with an eye to detail and he made sure it was right. I wrote a book on royal gardeners and sent it to the Queen, and had a letter back from the Duke about a fortnight later.”

Published in 2003, the Duke appears to have enjoyed reading Royal Gardeners: The History of Britain’s Royal Gardens before going on to list “everything he had done in the home park including the avenues he had planted”.

The Duke added: “I thought it might interest you to know active gardening still goes on.”

Titchmarsh told BBC anchor Huw Edwards: “I cherish the document.”

Meanwhile acclaimed naturalist Sir David Attenborough said “the fact that conservation is a worldwide sensitivity” was a tribute to Prince Philip’s work in this field.