King Charles has an enormous amount of responsibilities weighing on him every day, with the world’s most serious matters requiring his attention, but he makes time for a little whimsy. The King is an outspoken and passionate gardener, spending much of his free time in his gardens at Highgrove House near Tetbury, in the Cotswolds. While many imagine him pruning roses or cultivating an herb garden, he also makes time for some harmless fun—much to the delight of his garden staff.
Melissa Simpson, the Head of Horticulture for the King’s Foundation, said that “there’s so many whimsical things in the garden here [at Highgrove].” From trickling fountains to a wildflower meadow, the Highgrove Gardens are known for their beauty, and King Charles is making sure his private gardens are a little bit whimsical as well. “We’ve got a little gnome that seems to move around and I’m sure it's The Boss.”
The small gnome has a noticeable patina, suggesting he has taken up residence in the gardens for many, many years. King Charles must be moving the magical gnome around his gardens during his regular visits to Highgrove. This charming prank shows a lighter side to the King that many don’t know about. "Like his mother Queen Elizabeth before him, King Charles is a monarch who doesn’t take himself too seriously and has a great sense of humour," according to Woman & Home’s Royal Editor Emma Shadlock.
"His chickens at Highgrove House don’t live in any old hen coop, they’re residents at the brilliantly-named ‘Cluckingham Palace’,” Shadlock wrote, reminding us of King Charles collecting eggs in an immaculate, cream Savile Row suit. “He might not be constantly cracking jokes, but his dry wit has come across at so many different points over the years."
King Charles’s gnome has an upcoming moment to shine, as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is lifting its ban on garden gnomes. The King’s Foundation has a featured garden at London’s annual iconic flower show. “We’ve never needed the joy of gardening, the power of plants for our planet or the peace of simply sitting in a garden more," says Clare Matterson, Director General of the RHS.
“We also want people to be playful with their gardening, which is why we’re lifting the gnome ban.” The gnomes that will be showcased at the Chelsea Flower Show have been painted by celebrities, and will be auctioned off to support the charitable work of the Royal Horticultural Society.
