Thames Hospice was honoured to be part of the prestigious Royal Windsor Flower Show last Saturday [7 June 2025], as His Majesty The King paid a visit to the charity’s specially created ‘Garden of Hope’.
Beautifully designed by Creepers Nursery, the garden was a tribute to the holistic and compassionate care provided by the Hospice every day. Nestled among its blooms were elephant sculptures Hope and Miles, part of the charity’s forthcoming Trunks Across the Thames art trail coming to Slough and Windsor in 2026. This marked their very first official public engagement!
The Hospice was deeply privileged that His Majesty The King paused to admire its showstopper garden during His Majesty’s official tour of the show, accompanied by Show Director Alexandra Denman and Alan Titchmarsh, Honorary President of the Royal Windsor Flower Show. The King took time to speak with the charity’s Chief Executive, Dr Rachael de Caux, showing genuine warmth and interest in the Hospice’s work and upcoming community projects, making the moment deeply memorable for all involved.
“It was a true honour for His Majesty to take time to speak with us and connect with our mission,” said Dr Rachael de Caux. “The Garden of Hope captured the essence of hospice care — not only about end-of-life support, but also about living fully, creating memories, and feeling held and supported during life’s most difficult times.”
Throughout the day, the garden became a special gathering place for supporters, visitors, and friends of the Hospice, including celebrity guests Gloria Hunniford and Angellica Bell, who both stopped by to show their support.
Also, among those visiting the garden was Maureen Shillam, 91, a patient at Thames Hospice and a proud lifelong Windsorian. Remarkably, Maureen volunteered for the charity when it first opened its doors in 1987, making her presence at the show a moving full-circle moment.
“It was such a proud day,” said Maureen. “To see the King and people stop to admire the Hospice’s Garden of Hope and the elephants was really special.”
The Garden of Hope carried a vital message — one that helps to challenge common misconceptions about hospice care.
Hospice care is everything you’d expect — and everything you wouldn’t.
It’s where every moment matters, memories are made, and hope blossoms.
This message is brought to life every day by the Hospice, and will be at the heart of Trunks across the Thames’. Rachael explained, “We believe it’s time to address the ‘elephant in the room’ when it comes to talking about hospice care.”
Rachael de Caux added, “We are incredibly grateful to the Royal Windsor Flower Show for this platform, to Creepers Nursery for bringing the Garden of Hope to life, and to everyone who visited, shared their stories, and helped shine a light on hospice care.”
A full gallery of photos from the event, including His Majesty The King and other special guests will be available across the Hospice’s social media channels.
