Royal roses bloom at National Memorial Arboretum for first time

The National Memorial Arboretum's collection of Catherine’s Roses has come into bloom for the first time.

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales gifted 80 ‘Catherine's Roses’ to help create a striking new living feature within the site’s 150-acre landscape, offering visitors colour and fragrance, while encouraging reflection throughout the summer months. 

The rose bed sits alongside the first memorial to be installed at the estate, a sculpted wooden Polar Bear commemorating the service of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division.

With their first bloom coinciding with the site’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the roses act as a living anniversary gift within the landscape, offering visitors a moment to remember, reflect and reconnect with nature every summer in the years to come.  

Named in honour of The Princess of Wales by the Royal Horticultural Society and bred by Harkness Roses, ‘Catherine's Rose’ was created to celebrate the healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time outdoors can play in supporting mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 

The donation holds particular significance for the Nation’s year-round place to remember, where the landscape itself is designed to offer comfort, reflection and connection for those remembering loved ones, commemorating service and finding moments of peace among nature. 

The roses have been planted in a distinctive tear drop-shaped installation, symbolising both loss and hope.

Their soft coral-pink blooms and rich fragrance create a living tribute to resilience, recovery and Remembrance, reflecting the site's role as a place where stories of service and sacrifice are honoured while hope for the future continues to grow. 

HRH visited the National Memorial Arboretum in November 2025 to attend the annual Armistice Service and met members of the Arboretum team, veterans and families. During her visit, The Princess took a keen interest in the Arboretum's role as a living memorial and its unique ability to support wellbeing through nature, recognising the comfort and reflection that the landscape offers to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. 

The new rose installation also sits alongside other horticultural features connected to Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, including the Wedding Cake Tree and wisteria propagated from the floral displays used at Westminster Abbey for their wedding. 

Philippa Rawlinson, director of the National Memorial Arboretum, said: "This beautiful donation from Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales reflects our shared values and belief in the importance of taking time to pause, reflect and remember.

“The symbolism intrinsic to ‘Catherine’s Roses’ aligns closely with our mission as the Nation’s year-round place to remember and it is so fitting that they should first come into bloom as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. 

"As the flowers come into bloom each year, they will create a living tribute that visitors can enjoy while taking time to remember loved ones, reflect on service and find comfort in nature.

“We are grateful for The Princess’ thoughtful support and her recognition of the important role that landscapes such as ours play in supporting wellbeing." 

 Thousands of visitors over the coming weeks will be among the first to see the roses in bloom. As a repeat-flowering variety, ‘Catherine's Rose’ will continue to provide a colourful and fragrant display throughout the season.