A host of stars attended a high-profile event on Monday, with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show drawing a glittering array of names from entertainment, sport, the arts and public life to the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
The celebrity roll call included Dame Joanna Lumley, X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, artist Grayson Perry, Lady Amelia Windsor, broadcaster Piers Morgan, reality TV couple Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams, actor Emma Corrin, and singer Will Young. Their presence underlined the show’s enduring status as a fixture not only of the horticultural calendar but of the wider social season.
The event: a showcase of innovation and tradition
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, which runs from 19 to 23 May, is the world’s most celebrated horticultural exhibition. Now in its 113th year, the show attracts around 168,000 visitors and features more than 500 exhibitors — a considerable expansion from the 244 exhibitors at its inaugural event in 1913. It was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and delayed to September in 2021, but has since returned to its traditional spring slot. The event is organised by the Royal Horticultural Society and is held at the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea, where it has been staged continuously since its founding.
Among the most talked-about features this year is a painted gnomes auction. The RHS has lifted its long-standing ban on gnomes — in place since 1927 — for only the second time in the show’s history, the first being for its centenary in 2013. Celebrities have contributed decorated gnomes to raise funds for the RHS’s campaign for school gardening, which aims to introduce children to horticulture. Comedian Bill Bailey, who urged the RHS to lift the gnome ban, is among the figures associated with the initiative.
The centrepiece of the 2026 show is The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden, an exhibit designed with input from King Charles, Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh. Its mission is to spark public curiosity about gardening. Notable elements include seven raised plant beds — a nod to Sir David Beckham’s shirt number — and an Artist’s Easel crafted by The King’s Foundation’s Snowdon School of Furniture. King Charles and Queen Camilla, as patrons of the RHS, were seen touring the exhibit alongside Beckham and Titchmarsh on press day.
Another highlight is the Tate Britain Garden, a preview of the gallery’s forthcoming Clore Garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and due for completion in 2027. The garden features Barbara Hepworth’s 1949 sculpture “Bicentric Form” and will be relocated to Tate Britain after the show ends. Grayson Perry, who attended the show on Monday, was seen at this garden; he has previously expressed an interest in designing a garden for Chelsea himself.
The show also introduces a new culinary direction this year, led by chefs Jeremy Chan of the two-Michelin-starred London restaurant Ikoyi and José Pizarro. Two new rose varieties are making their debut: “The King’s Rose”, a fuchsia and white striped English shrub rose that took 12 years to develop in honour of King Charles, and “Sir David’s Rose”, a shrub rose whose buds open to soft pink and luminous white flowers, named after David Beckham.
Evening events include “Chelsea Late” on Friday 22 May, offering music and a DJ for a different perspective on the show. The surrounding streets of Chelsea are also decorated as part of “Chelsea in Bloom”, an annual floral art trail whose theme this year is “Out of this World”.
Celebrity attendees: profiles and connections
The list of celebrity visitors on Monday extends well beyond the core group, reflecting the show’s broad appeal. Dame Joanna Lumley, a regular attendee, has previously described Chelsea as a place that inspires faith in nature, saying: “I feel that if you didn’t have a faith and you came to Chelsea and looked at what’s here, you’d end up believing in a new god, which is nature, the oldest god of all.” She has been seen at the show in previous years alongside chefs Dame Prue Leith and Marcus Wareing.
Alexandra Burke, the X Factor winner, was noted for her fashion choice on Monday: a shirt, tie and jeans from Holland Cooper. She attended a gala party hosted by The Newt in 2025 and has previously been seen at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show alongside Nadiya Bychkova and Amy Dowden.
Chris Robshaw, the former England rugby union captain, was among the attendees. Grayson Perry attended with his wife Philippa Perry in 2022 and has expressed a desire to design a garden for the show. Lady Amelia Windsor, a cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry and 43rd or 44th in the line of succession, has been a frequent face at Chelsea; in 2024 she created her own wildflower pot for Kent Wildflower Seeds. She wore a floral print maxi dress from Sophie and Lucie on Monday, having also been seen in a strapless floral dress by Boodles earlier in the week.
Piers Morgan, the broadcaster, has been photographed at Chelsea Flower Show press days in 2016, 2019 and 2023, and was among the first to get a look at the 2026 show. Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams, the reality TV couple who co-host a podcast, attended together; Vogue’s fashion choices have been noted in previous years, including a floral-printed two-piece dress by Celia B in 2025. The couple announced a professional separation in 2025, with Vogue continuing the podcast with her sister Amber Wilson.
Emma Corrin, the actor, was listed among the day’s visitors. Will Young, the singer, is a regular at Chelsea with a family history in gardening. He has previously described his approach as guided by feeling rather than aesthetics, favouring wild planting. In 2022 he attended in a striking red and white suit.
The royal presence at the 2026 show extends beyond the King and Queen. The Princess Royal (Anne) and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence attended, as did the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Prince Edward and Sophie) and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Lady Louise Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s daughter, was seen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Other notable guests on Monday and throughout the week included Dame Judi Dench, who was photographed with Ben Shepherd; Mary Berry, the veteran baker, who wore a pink polka dot dress and will appear as a special guest on BBC coverage to reveal the winner of the BBC RHS People’s Choice Award; David Beckham, for whom a rose has been named; Alan Titchmarsh; Monty Don; Nicki Chapman and Angellica Bell, who are presenting the BBC’s coverage; Carol Klein, returning as co-presenter; Bridgerton stars Adjoa Andoh and Golda Rosheuvel; Kim Cattrall; Cat Deeley; Anthea Turner; Natalie Rushdie; Jade Holland-Cooper; Leonora Smee; Angela Rippon; and actors Dominic West and Rachel Duffy.
