Written for Royal Central by Jessica Storoschuk
As The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year gets underway, leaders from around the world are marking the momentous occasion. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has planted a tree at Lambeth Palace in honour of the Jubilee.
Shared on The Queen’s Green Canopy Twitter account on 21 February 2022, the Archbishop of Canterbury was joined by the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, at Lambeth Palace to plant a tree to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
They planted a fig tree, which is a unique tree as there are no blossoms on the branches- the blossoms are contained within the fruit.
As of March 2021, Usher was appointed the Church of England’s lead bishop for all environmental issues, making him a strong candidate to help mark the Jubilee with a tree planting at Lambeth Palace.
Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London. It sits on the south bank of the Thames, and is south-east of the Palace of Westminster where Parliament sits. It is a Grade I listed building, and the oldest surviving portion of the palace is the Early English Chapel (which dates back to the thirteenth century).
Welby took part in an interfaith video message in May 2021 when The Queen’s Green Canopy project was officially launched. The project was established to encourage people to “plant a tree for the Jubilee” and to create a lasting, sustainable mark of Her Majesty’s reign. The planting season started in October 2021 and will wrap up in March 2022, and then will continue again in October 2022.
Political, religious, and faith-based leaders in the UK, and across Europe, have planted trees in honour of the Platinum Jubilee, including Her Majesty Margareta of Romania and Dame Judi Dench.
The project will also dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
