The Queen is taking centre stage at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in more ways than one.
Renowned florist Simon Lycett has created a larger-than-life display in honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, and the spectacular creation is at the heart of this year’s event, marking the return of the May flower show after being cancelled since 2019.
Creating a massive silhouette of the longest-reigning monarch in Jubilee purple and a smaller one made from native British foliage, the celebrity floral designer filled 70 pots with her favourite flower to mark seven decades on the throne.
“The two silhouettes are linked by floating shelves which hold 70 terracotta pots, hand-thrown by Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire, where I’m from, and they are planted with Lily of the Valley, which in 2020 Her Majesty revealed to the RHS is her favourite flower,” Lycett told The Telegraph.
Situated in the show’s Great Pavilion, the display will be on view through Saturday, 28 May. But fortunately, the plants and even the steel frame will be repurposed.
“It’s not just going to be a one-hit-wonder for the duration of the Chelsea Flower Show; it’s something that will definitely have a legacy,” Lycett told the publication.
The Lily of the Valley pots will be given to local schools and gardens, and plans are in the works for the enormous purple frame to become part of a permanent garden at the Royal Horticultural Society, according to The Telegraph.
On 23 May, The Queen was able to check out the stunning floral display for herself when she attended the show in a “Queenmobile” to assist with her recent episodic mobility issues.
It was uncertain if Her Majesty would be able to attend until she made her surprise appearance, and Lycett — who shared his hope that she’d be able to view his creation up close — said if that happened, it “would be totally special, and a delicious cherry on top of what is already a rather gorgeous cake.”
The accomplished florist, who designed the arrangements for the wedding of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, is no stranger to a royal event; his company serves as one of Historic Royal Palaces’ two cross palace floral suppliers.
The Chelsea Flower Show is open to RHS members only on Wednesday, 25 May and opens to the general public Thursday, 26 May, through Saturday, 28 May. Tickets are available on the RHS website from £45.85 per person.
