Anne notices corgi tribute at opening of Queen Elizabeth Garden

Princess Anne formally opened the Queen Elizabeth II Garden at Regent's Park on what would have been the late monarch's 100th birthday and noticed a discreet corgi motif built into a skylight.

Princess Anne formally unveiled the Queen Elizabeth II Garden at Regent's Park on what would have been the late monarch's 100th birthday. The two-acre site was created on former horticultural nursery land and will open to visitors from April 27. Blacksmiths Ian Kebby and Ian Thackray incorporated a small corgi motif into a skylight as a subtle tribute. The garden was designed for biodiversity with wildflower meadows, native hedgerows and trees. Key details: - Anne noticed a discreet corgi motif in a skylight and reacted with laughter during the opening. - Blacksmiths Ian Kebby and Ian Thackray said they had incorporated the dog into the metalwork originally intended as wildflowers. - The craftsmen presented Anne with a cast iron Princess Anne rose during the visit. - The garden is a two-acre site built on previously inaccessible brownfield land and will welcome visitors from April 27. - Design features include wildflower meadows, native hedgerows, trees chosen to symbolise the monarchy, a magnolia that blooms in April, and lily of the valley referenced in the planting. - Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the Queen Elizabeth II Garden; other areas of the park allow dogs. Summary: The garden commemorates Queen Elizabeth II and reflects aspects of her life, including plantings linked to her coronation and favourite flowers. A hidden corgi motif provided a personal, light-hearted moment during the unveiling. The site will open to visitors from April 27.