King Charles has received the first seedling grown from seed collected from the Sycamore Gap tree, Buckingham Palace has revealed.
The 75-year-old monarch became patron of The National Trust in 2003 and served as its president until he ascended the throne in 2022.
About To celebrate the day, the @nationaltrust presented The King – their patron – with the first seedling grown from seed collected from the Sycamore Gap tree.
“The tree was a popular landmark growing in a natural dip in the countryside along Hadrian's Wall before it was cut down in September 2023.”
The post continued: “Once the seedling has grown, His Majesty hopes to scale it up in Windsor Great Park, where in time the wind will in turn help the seeds to be spread even more widely.
“Part of the power of trees to move and comfort us lies in the continuity and hope they represent: the sense that their seeds, rooted in the past and flourishing in the present, will be carried into a yet unimaginable future .”
As his commitment to the charity continued throughout his reign, the King joined in encouraging members of the public to donate and plant a tree in memory of a loved one or as a gift – a decision that will create new habitats for wildlife would create.
The public got their first look at the seedling at the Chelsea Flower Show on May 20.
During the annual event, Dame Judi Dench placed it in the Octavia Hill garden, named after the charity's founder.
Andy Jasper – the director of gardens and parks at the National Trust – said: “It was quite overwhelming and incredibly humbling to see the public's response to the very first seedling to successfully germinate and grow in our dedicated plant conservation centre, which can be seen in the Chelsea Flower Show last week.
“Personally, it gave me so much joy to tell its story to the thousands of visitors to the stand – and to witness firsthand and feel the outpouring of emotion of what this little sapling means to so many across the country .”
Following his cancer diagnosis earlier this year, King Charles appeared at the Chelsea Flower Show last week with his wife Queen Camilla.
During his appearance, the king was labeled 'King of Compost' by schoolchildren with a badge in honor of his well-known environmental work.