A Rose Fit For A (Future) Queen

Ahead of the keenly anticipated return of Chelsea Flower Show next week, The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has unveiled a brand new coral-pink bloom bred by Harkness Roses. And, to highlight the healing power of nature, the RHS has dubbed the flower ‘Catherine’s Rose’ in honour of the Princess of Wales, who recently shared how spending time in the outdoors nurtured her wellbeing on her cancer recovery journey. In a video on Instagram, Princess Catherine noted how nature is ‘so meaningful for me as a place to balance and find a sense of peace in what is otherwise a very busy world’.

RHS Names New Rose For Catherine, Princess Of Wales

Catherine’s Rose is a coral pink floribunda rose with a rich perfume the RHS compares to ‘Turkish Delight and mango’, perfect for attracting pollinators.

Bred by Harkness Roses, Catherine’s Rose is now available to preorder on the RHS website and via roses.co.uk. The roses will be shipped in autumn as bare root plants, perfect for a hedge, mixed border or rose bed. Clusters can produce up to 15 blooms, with each flower measuring between 8 and 12cm.

‘We’re delighted the RHS is naming this stunning floribunda rose for The Princess of Wales, celebrating wellness and nature,’ says Philip Harkness, managing director of Harkness Roses.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

With each Catherine’s Rose sold, £5 will go to The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust – the specialist hospital where Princess Catherine was treated for cancer last year.

‘As a specialist cancer centre, The Royal Marsden’s mission is to ensure every patient has the care and support they need to achieve the best outcome and patient experience,’ says Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. ‘Every rose sold will help The Royal Marsden establish a unique training programme for clinical teams across the country in prehabilitation and rehabilitation techniques which make such a difference to patient care.

‘We are honoured to have Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales as Joint Patrons of our specialist cancer centre and we are very grateful to The Princess and the Royal Horticultural Society for setting up this initiative and for the benefit it will bring to cancer patients everywhere,’ Dame Cally adds.

‘As well as supporting the incredible work of The Royal Marsden, Catherine’s Rose will raise awareness of how nature and gardening can help to heal,’ says RHS director general Clare Matterson. ‘We know how important this message is as every day we see how accessing nature and being outside is vital for our health and happiness.

‘Crucially too, Harkness Roses has done a wonderful job breeding this spectacular rose that is going to bring so much joy to all our nation’s gardeners and keep our precious pollinators buzzing too!’ Clare says. ‘It’s a really special rose.’