Princess of Wales says Royal family ‘look after everyone’ as she meets schoolchildren at Chelsea Flower Show

It is not every day that the Princess of Wales is accosted about the merits of her role - let alone her priorities when she eventually becomes Queen.

But when she joined a group of primary schoolchildren at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show she could not avoid the tough questions.

The Princess was at the annual horticultural show to encourage a love of gardening. But there was only so much chit chat about broad beans and sunflowers the children could take.

Asked by one what it was like to be a member of the Royal family, she replied: “You have to work hard, but you know the best thing about it is meeting kiddies like you.”

Pressed on what the family actually does, she ploughed on: “They help support all the different people in the country, showcase all the amazing work being done and look after everyone.”

One curious little girl asked if she made the law, but was told: “The Prime Minister makes the laws.”

Meanwhile, Saron Fikremariam, 11, said afterwards: “I asked her what’s the first thing she is going to do when she becomes Queen and she said she is going to help kids.”

The Princess, 41, had made a surprise appearance at the flower show, where she was joined by a group of pupils from ten London primary schools at its inaugural Children’s Picnic.

The picnic, which is set to become an annual event, was inspired by a conversation the Princess had with the RHS during her last visit in 2019, when she unveiled her Back to Nature Garden and told organisers she felt it would be nice to involve more children.

The Princess, wearing a pink dress by ME+EM, sat down on a picnic blanket with children from St Augustine’s Primary School in Hammersmith, asking them if they were keen gardeners and whether they had the chance to plant things at school.

“It’s so rewarding isn’t it, when you see plants growing and then you have them on your plate,” she said.

The children discussed vegetables and herbs and the Princess told them: “There’s a plant that smells like chocolate. I remember my granny showing me that when I was little. It has very dark leaves and you rub it and it smells like chocolate.”

Told the pupils were growing sunflowers at school, she said: “They get so big, don’t they?

“Louis is growing broad beans at school. You put them in a cup and you can see the roots growing. They get big quickly like sunflowers.”

Picking up a favourite theme, the Princess extolled the virtues of spending time outdoors, telling the children: “It’s so good for our bodies and our minds.”

She then joined another group to discuss flowers and plants, admitting that: “Lots of the names are in Latin and I can never remember them.”

She asked the children if they were enjoying the different way of learning and urged them to write to her after the visit so she knows how they can make it better for them next time.

After the picnic, the Princess took small groups of children into three of the show gardens.

They enjoyed the outdoor kitchen at The Savills Garden, a blend of ornamental and edible planting designed by RHS gold medal winner Mark Gregory.

By chance, their visit coincided with that of a group of Chelsea Pensioners who had been invited to enjoy a “plot-to-plate” lunch prepared with ingredients from the potager and walled garden.

“What’s on the menu?” the Princess asked, as the pensioners tucked into chargrilled peas with herbs.

Harry Puttick, who served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers for 30 years, replied gallantly, “The peas are forgettable, you are not”.

With the cook nearby, he joked afterwards: “I’d better say the peas were wonderful, but it was fantastic to meet the future Queen.”

In the Samaritans Listening Garden, designed to be a safe space for people to share their struggles, the Princess pointed out small rocks suspended over the walkway, telling children: “That makes you feel a bit nervous and anxious, doesn’t it?”

Gesturing to the seating under the tree where they were chatting, she added: “And then you can come and sit here and it’s all really calm and feels secure.”

Designed by Darren Hawkes, the space represents an emotional journey, moving from chaos and overwhelm through to a calming and tranquil area. Sculptural oak seats serve as places to talk and listen or reflect on conversations.

Finally, the Princess joined designer Tom Massey in the Royal Entomological Society’s garden, where children were identifying bugs and beetles that have entered via the permeable modules in the wall.

The children, however, were just as interested in securing a souvenir from their VIP encounter.

Asked to sign their sketches, the Princess told them: “My name’s Catherine. I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules.”

She drew a flower for one little girl, a tree for another and a pond surrounded by plants for a third child.

Tom Massey, the RHS Chelsea gold medal winner, said of the Princess afterwards: “She’s interested in the theme but I think for her the main thing was just the interaction with the children and seeing how excited they were to come into this structure and see the insects up close.

“I think she just really liked that. For her, it was obviously all about the children.”

Gelila, nine, from St Mary’s Church of England primary school, was among those who met the royal visitor.

“When I saw her on TV, I thought she’d be a really posh person but she’s actually really nice,” she said.