A special new rose has been unveiled in honour of King Charles III. The King’s Rose was bred by David Austin Roses in collaboration with The King’s Trust and took 12 years to achieve. With striking patterning on its petals, it’s the first rose by David Austin to be striped and was inspired by The King’s own early gardening experiences.
The King’s Rose first went on display on Monday (19 May) at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show during preview day. The inspiration for the rose came from a meeting between David J. C. Austin and The King in the 1990s. During their conversation, they discovered they had both grown ‘Ferdinand Pichard’ – a distinctive striped variety – as the first rose in their gardens.
When David saw the new striped rose flower for the first time after an extensive breeding process, the striped, semi-double blooms reminded him of that meeting and he knew instantly that this was the perfect tribute to The King.
The flower is described as having ‘delicate fuchsia and white stripes’, which give it ‘the look of a watercolour painting, with no two blooms ever exactly the same’. The rose is disease-resistant and is great for pollinators, including bees. It’s easy to care for and flowers repeatedly.
Another new rose named in honour of the Royal Family was also debuted at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with Catherine’s Rose, in tribute to the Princess of Wales, on display at the event. Proceeds from the sale of this rose will go to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to help create a ‘specialist prehabilitation and rehabilitation programme’, which ‘will help to ensure patients who need intensive support live well with, and beyond, cancer’.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is open to RHS members and the public between 20 and 24 May 2025. The show kicked off with a press preview day on Monday 19 May. Find out everything you need to know about this year’s event in our Chelsea Flower Show guide.
