King's former gardener reveals hidden tribute to Queen at Balmoral
A beloved spot by the Queen - who passed away in 2022 - it's also a place King Charles spent much of his childhood.
The grounds have been open to the [[pub]]lic since last year but the castle gardens have been newly renovated with a Thistle maze, the Celtic maze garden, as well as a generous array of topiary, trees and shrubbery.
READ MORE:
I visited Balmoral - and it was well worth the £150 entry fee
New Balmoral tartan created at request of King Charles on his birthday
Monarchy's income to rise by £45m to more than £130m due to Crown Estate profits
And Jack Stooks, who worked as a senior gardener at Highgrove for King Charles for over two decades, has revealed why the designs have such a personal touch.
He said: 'Mazes are very special to Charles as he used to love playing in the maze at Sandringham when he was young. His grandmother, the late Queen Mother, used to speak fondly about her memories of him in the maze and how much he loved the topiary. It's likely Charles wanted to bring some of the nostalgia of his childhood back to the Balmoral gardens and make it a place of fun and excitement for future generations. Balmoral was also a very special residence for the Queen, so Charles will want others to enjoy a place that was so special for his mother. It's like a tribute to her.
'Charles has an amazing work ethic and he's very hands on. I remember doing some topiary pieces for him in Scotland with two yew trees that resided in the vegetable garden. I did a drawing and suggested finishing the top with the Prince of Wales feathers. The drawing came back with a handwritten note from Charles that praised the design but suggested swapping the feathers for a cone. He takes the time to consider these things, and it helps that he has a love for gardening and greenery.
'Now Balmoral is open to the public, Charles wants to make the grounds as inviting as possible for everyone. He wants to make it a place that's exciting for future generations too. The grounds are quite bare as it's cold for much of the year, but the topiary in the mazes have an evergreen appeal. Plus, they've included thistle within the topiary as a proud nod to Scotland. Despite being English, Charles knows how important it is to pay tribute to Balmoral's rich history in the Highlands.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Female tour guides in Afghanistan lead women-only groups as some travelers return
They wandered through the museum, listening attentively as their guide explained the antiquities in display cabinets. It could have been any tour group, anywhere in the world. But there was something unusual about this one. The group of foreigners visiting the National Museum of Afghanistan was made up only of women. Its guide was a woman, too — one of the first Afghan female tour guides in a country whose Taliban rulers impose the severest restrictions on girls and women anywhere in the world. Somaya Moniry, 24, hadn't known that tour guides existed, as a profession or even as a concept. But while browsing the internet for help on improving her English language skills, she stumbled upon Couchsurfing, an app where travelers connect with locals and stay in their homes. After hosting a traveler, 'I became very passionate about it and it was very interesting for me,' Moniry said. 'It was very unique. I have never heard about it before, so I said: 'Why not (do) this?'' Looking for the positive As she showed that first visitor around her hometown in western Afghanistan, she saw a new side to her country. 'Most of the things that we have heard (about Afghanistan) was just … negativity. The focus of the people, focus of the media, focus of headlines, all of them were just the negativity. And definitely we get influenced by that,' Moniry said. But for her, Afghanistan is far more nuanced. While there are undoubtedly problems in a place recovering from decades of war and chaos, there is also another side to the complex, stunning country. Her love for her homeland runs deep, and she is eager to share it. She hopes to gradually change people's perceptions. 'Whenever … I saw all of that natures, all those beauty, all those positivity, it changed my view totally,' Moniry said in her enthusiastic English. 'And definitely this can be also for other people.' One of those visitors is Australian Suzanne Sandral. She originally wanted to see Afghanistan in the 1960s but the pressures of having a family kept her away. Now at 82, she was part of Moniry's women-only tour group in Kabul. Afghanistan surprised her. 'It's not what I expected at all. I expected to feel rather fearful. I expected to be given a lot of ... accusatory looks. Not at all,' she said during a pause in sightseeing. 'Wherever you go in the streets, if you smile at someone and give them a little nod or say hello, you get a terrific response. So it's very different.' Jackie Birov, a 35-year-old independent traveler from Chicago who was not part of the tour group, called the Afghan people 'unbelievably hospitable.' However, 'I'm very aware that I have a lot more freedom than local women,' she said. A fledgling industry Four decades of war have kept tourists away from Afghanistan. But while the Taliban's takeover of power in August 2021 sent thousands of Afghans fleeing and shocked the world, the end of its insurgency against the previous U.S.-backed government also marked a sharp drop in violence. Attacks still occasionally occur, mainly by an Islamic State affiliate, and Western countries advise against all travel to Afghanistan. Still, the improved security is increasingly attracting foreign visitors drawn by the dramatic scenery, millennia of history and a deeply ingrained culture of hospitality. Tourism is a fledgling industry, with annual visitors in the low thousands. Most are independent adventure travelers. But guided package tours are increasing from countries as diverse as China, Greece, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Afghanistan's Taliban government is keen to welcome them. Isolated on the international stage — officially recognized only by Russia, which did so in July — the government sees how potentially lucrative tourism could be. Tourist visas, typically single-entry ones valid for stays of up to 30 days, have become relatively simple to obtain from the few embassies that issue them. Regular flights connect Kabul with major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul. A question of ethics For some, the idea of visiting Afghanistan as a tourist is morally abhorrent, particularly given the government's treatment of women. Girls are banned from education above primary school level, and women live under myriad restrictions. The government dictates what they can wear in public, where they can go and who they can go with. They cannot walk in parks or eat in restaurants. Beauty salons are banned. A very limited number of professions, such as teaching and carpet weaving, are open to them. And the rules can change quickly. But those involved in tourism point to the positive effects that visiting Afghanistan can have. 'I truly believe in ethical tourism,' said Zoe Stephens, 31, a British tour leader at Koryo Tours, a company specializing in unusual destinations. 'I believe that you can divide politics and people, and that is the main thing for me. … A country is not a sum of its politics. It's a sum of so much more, it's a sum of its culture, its history, its food, and especially in Afghanistan, its people.' Glimpses into the women's world Of the three recent tours Stephens led in Afghanistan, two were women-only. Working with local female guides, including Moniry, they combine key attractions with visits to women's centers and cooking and embroidery classes from local women — worlds that are closed to male travelers. 'We always try and do something a little bit different that really makes our tours unique, as well as something that kind of gives back to the community,' Stephens said. 'So I felt that working with the female tour guides does both of those things really well.' The groups are small — one had eight women, the other three — but the company is looking to build a network of female guides across Afghanistan. 'What we try and do with this tour, especially the women's tour, is conquer those ethical concerns,' Stephens said. 'The idea is to learn about the lives of Afghan women in context.'
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Lack of variety and quality among Royal Mile shops shames capital
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is heaving with identikit shops selling 'tourist tat' (Picture: Lisa Ferguson) Walking the Royal Mile is a depresing experience, believes reader Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As an Edinburgh Festival Voluntary Guide I thought that I knew a fair bit about our Royal Mile. While I was aware there were a fair number of tourist gift shops, I was staggered to learn there are in fact 72 in total from the Castle down to the Palace. Walking Festival visitors down the Royal Mile, I am regularly having to apologise to them for the lack of quality gift shops. What is on offer is invariably cheap, tacky 'Scottish souvenirs', most of which will most certainly not have been made here in Scotland. What a chance lost to showcase the best of Scotland when it comes to quality products. Does the council have any idea how they have let the city – and Scotland – down by allowing this state of affairs to have happened? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Compare the Royal Mile with Karuizawa, a tourist centre near Nagano in the Japanese Alps which my wife and I visited in March. It was an absolute delight to walk along the town's main shopping street. Some 150 outlets showcased the best of local products and produce. The attractive shopfronts displayed ceramics, pottery, textiles, leatherwork, clothing, artwork, local food and drink and high-quality Japanese souvenirs. And there was not a McDonalds, KFC or Starbucks to be seen, just excellent cafes with delicious home baking to be enjoyed. Thankfully, this failure on the part of Edinburgh is not repeated to the same degree elsewhere in Scotland. While the Brigadoon bric-a-brac can be seen, in towns such as Peebles you will find high-quality Scottish products for sale. Edinburgh must surely up its game and promote the best of Scotland. Eric Melvin, Edinburgh Poll closed Clearly, John Swinney has a very odd idea of how things work constitutionally in the UK. He seems to think that his party only needs to get the largest number of seats and – hey, presto! – he can demand a second referendum on independence. However, the 'once in a lifetime' referendum held in 2014 was only permitted because David Cameron allowed it. As the Government of the UK, Westminster is in charge of all such matters as referenda. The number held has been very small and none have been on the same subject twice. One might ask why they should be – if you ask a constitutional question and you get an answer, your problem has been solved. When the UK was asked if voters wanted to join the EEC, they answered and membership was confirmed. When that entity changed to the EU, to which the UK's voters had not agreed to join, the vote was to leave and we duly left. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As Scottish voters decided to remain in the UK by a substantial margin of almost 24 per cent more votes than voted to leave, there is no reason to revisit the subject. After all, in the unlikely event he was allowed a second referendum, I doubt if Mr Swinney would guarantee to hold a further referendum on rejoining the remaining UK within 11 years if he won it, would he? Maybe we should ask? Sauce for the goose? John Fraser, Glasgow Natural gasbag? Donald Trump's dismissive remarks about Scottish wind energy are out of step with the facts and counterproductive for the nation's energy future. Wind power can be one of the cheapest and cleanest forms of energy available, powering millions of homes and supporting thousands of jobs across Scotland and the wider UK. Meanwhile, the North Sea is running out of gas. By 2027, the UK will no longer extract enough gas to meet national heating demands, even if all proposed new fields are approved. Analysis of official data shows just 14 per cent of the basin's original gas reserves remain commercially viable, meaning there is no potential for a long-term energy strategy driven by fossil fuels. No amount of bluster can mask the declining economics of fossil fuels. Trump's rhetoric ignores spiralling energy bills, geopolitical risks of import dependence, and the urgent climate crisis. Denigrating renewable energy while denying the facts is not just misleading, it's dangerous. Simon Francis, End Fuel Poverty Coalition Coordinator, Edinburgh Shattered idyll Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Visitor Martin O'Gorman (Letters, 29 July) writes admiringly of the Isle of Man's unspoiled landscape and absence of wind turbines – and indeed, many of us here on the island deeply value that same beauty, but I must gently correct the impression tranquillity is guaranteed. Communities in the south of the island are now fighting to prevent the industrialisation of some of our last remaining peatlands, upland habitats and wild open spaces. A 185-metre-tall wind farm – known as Cair Vie (ironically, 'Fair Wind' in Manx Gaelic) – is proposed by the Manx Utilities Authority for the very hills above our peaceful villages. These are areas of immense cultural, ecological and historical significance, where hen harriers and other vulnerable species breed undisturbed. Our community is working to protect this fragile biosphere from poorly sited industrial developments that threaten the very ecosystems we must preserve if climate action is to mean anything. Peatland is not wasteland – it stores vast amounts of carbon and supports rare biodiversity. Once damaged, it cannot be restored overnight. We are immensely grateful to visitors who appreciate our stunning landscape – but please know that its beauty endures not by accident, but via constant vigilance and community resolve. As custodians of this landscape, we all have a responsibility to defend it for future generations. We send solidarity to all in Scotland facing similar battles, may you endure, as we will. Kirrie Jenkins, Ballagreney, Colby, Isle of Man Learn to move on Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is right that we look to history to inform and perhaps to learn lessons from the outcomes of various decisions that impacted on where we are today. One lesson should be that we cannot change what happened in the past and events that occurred happened due to particular circumstances that shaped long-gone decisions. However, whatever the misdeed as viewed by today's standards it has to be remembered that perhaps a century or two have passed and myriad events have impacted on the original sin, as it were, making it impossible to judge whether the original sin continued to be a negative experience moving forward through the years. My point is, it is totally wrong to review historical events in isolation, for example, using slavery as a stick with which to beat modern, western man. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yes, viewed within the prism of a single happening it was wrong that tribal chiefs could sell people to others, as it was wrong for plantation owners to purchase them to work the fields of cotton or other crops. But at the time this was not considered an evil but a necessity, rather a harsh one but 'lesser' individuals were considered expendable, to be used until they were no longer able to be useful; then they were abandoned. Fortunately, modern times have substituted the rule of law rather than the dictate or whim of an individual ruler and there is now, for most of us 'lesser' beings, the feeling that we have some control over our lives, albeit at times this is an illusion of faith over fact! Given that, we now need to move on from historical misdeeds. What is really important is tomorrow and the future. By all means learn the lessons but use them to inform present day decisions and hopefully provide for a better future. The past was yesterday learn from it! A Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire No end to suffering Earlier this month it was the 40th anniversary of the amazing Live Aid concerts in both London and Philadelphia. Midway through proceedings, viewers were reminded of why this was happening. The great David Bowie introduced a short film showing many children suffering and dying in the famine in Ethiopia. These pictures shocked everyone and many shed tears. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Today on the BBC News, up came almost identical pictures of children suffering and dying in a man-made famine in Gaza. How can the world let something like this happen today? T West, Dumfries Spine tingling Nicola Sturgeon has just received an advance copy of her new book from her publisher and she was 'close to tears' with excitement. It has been a dream of hers to have her own name on her own book... but hold on, being a politician, all is not quite what it seems. Ms Sturgeon had a book out in 2021, containing her speeches. While she did not actually write the book, only the speeches, her name is prominently displayed on the cover, the writer, less so. Ms Sturgeon might not be too happy with her sales of this book, as currently it is 1,424,036th on the Kindle best selling list. Will she be taking a cue from JK Rowling by having the bookshops open at midnight on the first day of issue, 14 August, for the sales rush? Gerald Edwards, Glasgow Write to The Scotsman
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Review: Coastal Adventures on Channel 5 is a feast for the eyes
**** IF there is one thing television doesn't need, it is more celebrities going on holiday. But in the case of presenters Helen Skelton, Jules Hudson and JB Gill we can make an exception. The farming and outdoors trio are so often up at horrible o'clock in awful weather it seems churlish to deny them some sand between their toes, or the stench of a prison in their nostrils (to be explained). Particularly if they are as complimentary about Scotland as they are here. Helen started the ball rolling with a video selfie on the beach. 'Have a look at this,' she said, panning the camera across the scene. 'It looks almost tropical, but I'm not in the southern hemisphere, I'm just north of the Scottish border in Dumfries and Galloway.' The coastline was close to where she had lived and worked for years in Cumbria, yet she never thought of it as a holiday area because it was on her doorstep. Not any more. 'This is landscape that rivals the kind of thing you would go to New Zealand for.' Read more While she headed for Bainloch Deer Park and JB was dispatched to the Suffolk coast, Jules was shown around HMP Peterhead by someone who had worked there for 27 years. The former guard could still remember the smell of the chamber pots waiting to be emptied when he arrived to start his shift. The scene was described so vividly I could almost smell them myself, and I fear Jules was the same. The prison was defunct, and had been since 2013, but not defunked. The banners from the 1980s riots, hung on the walls, told their own story. It was a fascinating if grim tour, with the prison, dubbed 'Scotland's toughest jail', not changed much since it was built in the Victorian era. If misery has a smell that must have been evident too. Helen took an SUV tour of the 860-acre deer park. All the animals, some 600 of them, were brought to the park, some after road accidents. 'I've never been close to a deer,' said Helen. 'I don't know why but it makes me quite emotional.' That's the second presenter in a week to be moved to tears, after Rob Rinder was overcome with the majesty of Glenapp Castle in Amazing Hotels: Life beyond the Lobby. Is it something in the water? She was sent to look for an antler to take home as a souvenir, a task she thought akin to being asked for a tin of tartan paint, but she soon found one. In Johnshaven in Aberdeenshire, home to The Lobster Shop, Jules was trying lobster for the first time. 'Delicious,' he said, demolishing the stuffed roll in a few bites. Helen had the last word. 'The most perfect landscape,' she said, looking out to sea. 'I can try to think of something profound to say but I don't think words do this justice.' This lot can come again.
