On Tuesday, 21st April, Princess Anne was given the honour of opening the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in central London on what would've been her mother's 100th birthday. This brand new green space is dedicated to the late monarch and has turned a disused plant nursery into a two-acre garden.
It was no doubt an emotional day for the Princess Royal, but the designers included a secret detail that brought a smile to her face. Hidden in amongst the greenery was a corgi tribute and according to reports, Anne "chuckled loudly" when she spotted it.
The garden’s blacksmiths, Ian Thackray and Ian Kebby, included this in the viewing platform alongside the original plans of decorating it with cast iron wildflowers. After spotting it and letting out a chuckle, they handed Princess Anne her very own cast iron rose - thought to represent the species aptly named the Princess Anne Rose.
Her Majesty famously loved Pembroke Welsh Corgis and she received her first one as an 18th birthday present in 1944. Named Susan, this canine companion would usher in a lifelong affinity for the dogs. Queen Elizabeth bred 10 generations of dogs from Susan, personally owning more than 30 of them in her lifetime.
They were all either purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgis or Dorgis - a cross between a corgi and a dachshund. On the day of her funeral in 2022 we saw her final two corgis, Muick and Sandy, standing outside Windsor Castle waiting for the cortege to go by.
The corgi tribute that made Princess Anne laugh wasn't the only more subtle tribute to Queen Elizabeth that day. Perhaps in a nod to her mother’s famous tradition of wearing eye-catching, bright colours, the Princess Royal wore an orange knee-length coat with gold brooch and a red, floral scarf.
During a speech to unveil the commemorative plaque, Princess Anne said, "Gardens are important for a number of reasons, in terms of historical perspective. When [the Queen] was growing up, the gardens were one aspect of life that changed dramatically during the war to become places where everybody grew things, and then the spaces afterwards became used for other things."
The gardens, open to the public on 27th April, have been designed with biodiversity as a main focus. Amongst the flora and fauna, there will be wildflower meadows, native hedgerows and trees planted to symbolise the strength of the monarchy.
There is also a straight path that runs through it, designed to represent her unwavering loyalty and service with each end offering a moment of quiet reflection. Visitors will also get to walk through a meandering path that circles the garden and reflects key aspects of her life and reign.
