At the beginning of the year, you may remember we announced our partnership with world-leading rose breeder, David Austin Roses. As well as kicking off our ‘Slow Living’ campaign, we had big promises of a super exciting launch at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 – and we’re delighted to finally be able to reveal all!
‘The King’s Rose’
‘The King’s Rose,’ which has been named as a tribute to His Majesty King Charles III in partnership with the King’s Foundation, was unveiled to the public by the BBC and will be seen for the first time in the flesh at Press Day on Monday 19th May.
The rose has been carefully nurtured by His Majesty’s team of gardeners in his private gardens at Highgrove for the past three years. There, it has been flourishing in pots on the royal patio, and also forms part of the newly installed crown sculpture at Highgrove by willow artist Emma Stothard.
A Rose fit for Royalty
The prestigious variety produces semi-double, repeat-flowering blooms that appear in profusion, with at least 20 buds per stem. Its delicately papery petals boast distinct stripes in shades of fuchsia pink and white, creating an almost hand-painted look reminiscent of old Gallica roses. We’ll be the first to admit that all David Austin Roses are a thing of beauty, but trust us when we say that this variety is something truly special!
Its light-medium Musk fragrance will envelop admirers with hints of fresh apple and rose water, with a beautiful warmth coming from soft clove notes. A versatile and robust shrub that grows to approximately three to four feet tall, it has a vase-shaped growth habit and heart-shaped leaves, with vibrant yellow stems to attract pollinators.
The Journey to Chelsea
‘The King’s Rose’ is the newest English Rose to join the David Austin Roses family, having undergone an exceptionally thorough 12-year breeding process at its nursery in Albrighton. Each year, over 40,000 seedlings are carefully nurtured, evaluated and gradually shortlisted until there is just one final rose that meets the highest standards of beauty, fragrance and resilience.
This meticulous process is led by Head Breeding Manager, Carl Bennett, who has been with the company for over three decades and whose expertise and dedication ensures that only the best varieties make it through to introduction.
Supporting the Future of Horticulture
To commemorate the new variety and celebrate the partnership between David Austin Roses and the King’s Foundation, a donation from the sales of ‘The King’s Rose’ will go towards supporting the King’s Foundation.
See ‘The King’s Rose’ at Chelsea
‘The King’s Rose’ is set to be a star of the show at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with guests expected to flock to the David Austin Roses stand to see the new variety in person.
It will be the focal point of the immersive secret garden-themed stand, with visitors invited to wander through the roses and admire their unrivalled beauty and fragrance. ‘The King’s Rose’ will also be on display at the Highgrove Shop stand located on Eastern Avenue.
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The unveiling of ‘The King’s Rose’ is just the start of what will be an incredible week at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! Whether you’re watching from the comfort of your living room or heading to Chelsea to check out the showground on foot, it’s going to be another unmissable event.
If ‘The King’s Rose’ has got you in the Chelsea spirit, you can check out our trends predictions for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show here. And if you’re attending and need some top tips to make the most out of your day, you might want to have a read of our Chelsea survival guide!
Journalists, you can download the full press release with imagery here, and watch this space for more details on how we helped bring this prestigious rose to life in the coming weeks.
