King Charles pays “a secret tribute” to Queen Elizabeth

During his long life, Balmoral – The national retirement of the British royal family in Scotland, where they generally spend their late summers – would have been the favorite place of Queen Elizabeth on earth.

For a woman who had seen so many people, it was a great compliment. Her beloved Balmoral, in fact, was where she died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, and her son, King Charles, now pays tribute to her and her mother, the queen mother, in the gardens of the Scottish castle.

Charles opened Balmoral to the public last summer, and the former king’s Gardner shares details on “the secret homage” that the monarch pays for both his mother and his grandmother, by Marie Claire.

Balmoral gardens have recently been renovated with a thistle labyrinth and a Celtic labyrinth garden, as well as new topiares, trees and shrubs, according to Marie Claire. Jack Stooks, who was a senior gardener from Charles’s country house, Highgrove, for more than 20 years, explained to the point of view why these conceptions had “such a personal meaning” for the king, Marie Claire reported.

“The labyrinths are very special for Charles because he liked to play in the Sandringham labyrinth when he was young,” said Stoos, referring to Norfolk’s retirement where the Royals traditionally spend the Christmas holidays. “His grandmother, the late mother, spoke with emotion of his memories of him in the labyrinth and how much he loved the topiary.”

A true lover of nature and the natural world, Stooks added the king: “It is probably that Charles wanted to bring back part of his childhood nostalgia in the Balmoral gardens and make it a place of pleasure and excitement for future generations. Balmoral was also a very special residence for the Queen, so Charles will want others to benefit from a place that was so special for her mother. ”

“It’s like a tribute to her,” he continued.

Balmoral is open to the public on April 1; It will remain open to the public seven days a week until August 10, when the Royals probably start to present themselves for their end -of -summer vacation. Just as Charles was at the origin of the decision to open Balmoral to the public for the first time, he was also behind the new gardens of the castle, said Stoos.

“Charles has an incredible work ethics and he is very practical,” he added, noting that the king takes the time to consider the details. “It helps he like gardening and greenery,” said Stoks, adding that Charles “wants to make the ground as inviting as possible for everyone.”

Due to the cold winter temperatures of Scotland, Stoks said that the land can be “quite naked”, but said that “the labyrinth topiary has a call for persistent leaves”.

Speaking of being in detail, Stooks said that Charles ensured that the national flower of Scotland, the thistle, in the Balmoral gardens: “Despite the English gardens, Charles knows how important it is to pay tribute to the rich history of Balmoral in the Highlands,” said StooS.