On Thursday, April 11, H.E. Joanna Roper, British ambassador to the Netherlands, together with the managing director of the Keukenhof, Sandra Bechtholt, christened the Tulipa King Charles III. In the Keukenhof and in the UK, the regal golden bloom will flower.
Through the Dutch Embassy in London, the special tulip bulbs were forwarded to Herfordshire. Here, the King Charles III bulbs have been planted in the garden of Longmeadow, the gardens of Monty Don, and BBC Gardener's World.
Sandra Bechtholt is pleased, saying: "We welcome visitors from 100 countries, but the UK is certainly one of the important countries for the origin of our visitors and for the export of the bulbs. It is, therefore, extra nice that this new variety has already been planted not only here but also in the United Kingdom."
Ambassador Roper: "It's a privilege as His Majesty's Ambassador to the Netherlands to officially christen the King Charles Tulip to commemorate His Majesty's coronation last year. His Majesty King Charles is known for his love of nature and the environment, and so it seems particularly pertinent that this quintessentially Dutch flower has been named in his honor. It is also testimony to the enduring bond between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, including between our own Royal Families. The UK and the Netherlands are both green-fingered nations, from Dutch tulipmania to the English landscape garden, both countries see horticulture and gardening as a way to bring us closer to nature. And no less than 80% of the flowers the UK imports come from the Netherlands. We use flowers and gardening to celebrate milestones, like His Majesty's coronation; to remember and commemorate, in the UK, we use a poppy to remember those who have served their country; as well as for artistic expression, something that can be seen here at the Keukenhof, as well as at the Chelsea Flower show in London."
John Nijssen, Tulip breeder Hybris, is very honored with the permission he received to name a mutant of Tulipa Rejoyce King Charles III. In 1952, the Queen Elisabeth II tulip was registered with the Royal General Association for Flower Bulb Culture (KAVB) by P. Nijssen and Sons. P.J. Nijssen, one of the company's sons, was also co-founder of Hybris b.v. in 1979.
The King Charles III tulip is a mutant of Rejoyce and this is a mutant of the original cultivar Lydia. The Lydia and Rejoyce varieties are successful in the garden and pot market. King Charles III had the same structure, from bulb to plant. Only the color is different.
The introduction of King Charles III to the export market is expected in mid-2027/2028. The tulip can be used as a garden tulip and as a pot tulip.
For more information:
Keukenhof Holland
keukenhof.nl