The gardens have been a much-loved area of the Royals, including Princess Diana
A former Royal gardener has shared the easy yet ingenious method he used to secure a position tending to one of Britain’s most prestigious gardens. Having previously worked alongside King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, he revealed how it was all down to a lucky meeting and, of course, his talent.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, Jack Stooks explained that he was responsible for Highgrove House and Gardens, one of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s cherished residences in Gloucestershire. During the episode, he offered some excellent gardening advice.
He also disclosed how he obtained the role that saw him work on and meticulously maintain stunning gardens for 21 years. Describing it as “quite an odd one”, he said: “I went to my uncle and aunt’s house in Hereford one weekend and it just so happened that the then Prince of Wales was coming to a church recital.”
He ventured outside, hoping to meet the Royals, having never encountered one previously, but unfortunately, they didn’t hang around to talk. However, that wasn’t the end of it.
He remembered: “During half-time they came to use their loo, so my uncle and aunt’s house loo. So I met the Prince of Wales coming out the loo in the hallway at their house and I thought ‘this guy seems nice’.”
That’s when he wrote a letter requesting a job. He said: “And there I was at Highgrove.” Alison added: “You don’t ask, you don’t get.”
According to the Highgrove Estate History official website, Highgrove is the family home of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. It writes: “His Majesty King Charles III came to Highgrove in 1980, and the house and gardens have since undergone many thoughtful innovations. When His Majesty first arrived, Highgrove possessed little more than a neglected kitchen garden, an overgrown copse, some pastureland, and a few hollow oaks.
“Today, after the hard work of many people, an interlinked series of gardens now unfolds in a succession of personal and inspiring tableaux, each reflecting HM The King’s interests and enthusiasms. Highgrove now welcomes up to 40,000 visitors a year.”
Delving into its history, it added: “The house was originally styled ‘High Grove’ and was built between 1796 and 1798 on the site of an older property. In Georgian neo-classical style, its most likely architect was Anthony Keck, a local mason. Immediately before HM The King’s arrival, Highgrove was the home of Maurice Macmillan, son of Harold Macmillan, who was the British Prime Minister in the 1950s and early 1960s.”
This Morning airs on weekdays at 10am. You can catch it on ITV and ITV X.
