Queen visits flower show

The Queen looks round the Chelsea Flower Show

The Queen visited the world famous Chelsea Flower Show on Monday for a special preview of the breathtaking gardens and blooms on display.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she chatted to gardeners and horticulturists while she toured the two new marquees.

Other royals to attend Monday's Gala Preview on Monday were the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Margaret, who was in a wheelchair.

Their arrival was deliberately low-key after last year when they brought central London traffic to a standstill as they breezed past fuming motorists to the horticultural extravaganza.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrive at the show

With an estimated £20m spent by exhibitors on innovative and eye-catching displays, this year's show promises to be a riot of colour.

Everything from Italian lakes and rock gardens to more avant-garde designs have been created across 24 gardens for an expected 170,000 visitors.

And many of the plants displayed will be newly-cultivated variants which have never been seen before.

Exhibits come from across the world - the Horticultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago has flown a vibrant display of tropical flowers and fruit 4,000 miles to show.

Every exhibitor will be competing for a coveted Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal.

Chelsea Flower Show

First held in 1888

Planned 18 months in advance

Gardens cost up to £110,000 to create

Specialist societies, including the National Vegetable Society, the National Chrysanthemum Society and the Historic Roses Group, will get their own marquee for the first time.

Visitors are expected to get through 6,000 bottles of champagne, 2,000 lobsters, 70,000 ice creams, 60,000 cups of tea and more than 8,000 rounds of sandwiches during the show.

Attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday is limited to RHS members but the show opens to the public on Thursday and Friday.