Queen Camilla's Garden Generosity: A Royal Day of Charitable Visits
Queen Camilla brought a touch of royal green-fingered generosity to her recent charitable engagements, sharing botanical treasures from her personal garden while celebrating milestone moments for organizations close to her heart.
The Queen's thoughtful gesture of gifting plants and seeds from her private Wiltshire home became the highlight of a busy day dedicated to recognizing the extraordinary work of local charitable organizations. During her visit, she handed over a basket of cuttings and seeds, including foxgloves, hollyhocks, mint, rosemary and blackcurrant, taken from her garden at her private home near Lacock in Wiltshire.
A Royal Opening at Lower Shockerwick Farm
Queen Camilla, who serves as Patron of Jamie's Farm, officially opened the charity's newest site at Lower Shockerwick Farm near Bath, Somerset. This marks the seventh location for the organization, which has been transforming young lives since 2009. The charity has welcomed more than 16,000 young people to their six existing sites in Bath, Hereford, Monmouth, Lewes, Skipton and a city farm in London Waterloo.
The visit showcased the Queen's hands-on approach to her patronages. She joined children in making cupcakes, sampling homemade lemon curd, and even got her hands dirty by helping young gardeners Gabriel, aged 10, and Adrian, aged 11, water newly planted flowers including calibrachoa, geraniums, and verbena. The Queen unveiled a stone plaque to commemorate the occasion and made a promise to visit the Yorkshire site next, telling guests: "I am yet to get to Yorkshire, but that will be next on my agenda, I promise you I will get there."
Celebrating Five Decades of Community Impact
The Queen's day also included commemorating a significant milestone at Wellington Barn in Calne, where the Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary. This wasn't just any anniversary celebration – it marked the formal reintroduction of Swindon into the foundation's name, reflecting its historical roots and expanded reach.
Over the last 50 years, the Foundation has awarded more than £26.8 million in grants, supporting hundreds of thousands of people across Wiltshire and Swindon. The impressive scope of their work addresses critical local issues ranging from domestic violence and mental health support to education and employment opportunities.
During the celebration, Her Majesty met with diverse grant recipients and supporters, including representatives from Growbaby, All Yours Period Box, and the Platform Project. The festivities concluded with the traditional cutting of a specially commissioned anniversary cake, before the Queen enjoyed a sweet treat from Joanna Weaver's ice cream van – another venture supported by the Foundation.
A Personal Touch of Royal Gardening
As her visits drew to a close, the Queen's parting gift of garden treasures carried special significance. "I hope I can come back and see them thriving," she said – a sentiment that perfectly captures her ongoing commitment to nurturing both plants and the communities she serves.
The day exemplified Queen Camilla's approach to royal duties: personal, practical, and deeply connected to the causes she champions, proving that sometimes the most meaningful royal gestures come straight from the garden.
