Inside King Charles's "Special" and Personal New "Tribute" to Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother

The monarch is sharing elements of his childhood for a new generation to discover.

Queen Elizabeth wears a white tweed coat and a pink hat while her son Prince Charles wears a navy suit with a blue and red tie
(Image credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

The Balmoral estate has been a beloved Scottish residence of the Royal Family since Queen Victoria, and it's the place where Queen Elizabeth chose to live out her final days. While Balmoral filled a huge part of the late monarch's heart, it's also dear to King Charles. Now that the castle is open for its busy spring/summer season, King Charles's former gardener has shared some sweet details about the secret tribute the monarch is paying to his family within the estate's new gardens.

King Charles opened Balmoral to the public last year, and its castle gardens have been newly renovated with a thistle maze and a stunning Celtic maze garden, as well as a new topiaries, trees and shrubbery. Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Jack Stooks—who worked as a senior gardener at The King's Gloucestershire retreat, Highgrove House, for more than 20 years—revealed why the designs have such a personal meaning to the monarch.

"Mazes are very special to Charles as he used to love playing in the maze at Sandringham when he was young," Stooks shared. "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."

The former royal gardener continued, "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.”

The Queen Mother sitting outside with a young Prince Charles and a dog on a sunny day in 1950

The Queen Mother is seen with The King (then Prince Charles) in 1950.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Balmoral Castle's rose garden on a sunny day

A 2008 photo of Balmoral Castle reveals its manicured rose garden.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Stooks continued that King Charles was highly involved in the planning for Balmoral's new gardens. "Charles has an amazing work ethic and he’s very hands on," he shared. The gardener recalled a time when he created "some topiary pieces" for The King in Scotland, noting that he "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," Stooks said. "He takes the time to consider these things, and it helps that he has a love for gardening and greenery.”

Now that The King has opened Balmoral's doors to the public for a limited period each year, Stooks said that the monarch "wants to make the grounds as inviting as possible for everyone." Due to Scotland's cold climate, he explained that the grounds "are quite bare" at times, but added "the topiary in the mazes have an evergreen appeal."

Stooks also praised how The King made sure to include Scotland's national flower, thistle, within Balmoral's topiary. "Despite being English, Charles knows how important it is to pay tribute to Balmoral’s rich history in the Highlands," he added.

Want to check out the gardens for yourself? Balmoral opened to the public on Tuesday, April 1, and will welcome visitors seven days a week through Sunday, August 10.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.