Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Oliver Dixon
At 10am on Thursday, I was among the first to see the new Venus Garden at Windsor Castle. Descending the steps from the East Terrace, it was clear that this royal garden, designed by the King himself, was something different. I paused for a moment to look at the curves of the new beds and the strong colors of the plantings, my eyes drawn to an array of interesting looking topiary forms. This is a traditional garden with a contemporary twist, and perhaps not surprisingly, it reflects the King’s widely publicized commitment to sustainability and the environment.
His concept for the newly opened Venus Garden at Windsor Castle transformed the space from a monoculture rose garden into a haven for all kinds of wildlife, including wildflower meadow areas. trees and pollinator-friendly plantings within a formal topiary framework befitting a royal castle. During my brief visit, I saw swallows diving into the circular pool, kites flying overhead, and woodpeckers flitting from one side of the garden to the other. The borders were alive with bees and butterflies, and it truly felt like a place where nature was being welcomed with open arms.
The garden has seen many changes over the centuries, shaped by successive generations of the royal family. Until the 1670s, the land on the east side of the castle was still parkland, but under the reign of Charles II, the present north terrace of the castle was extended on the east and south sides. Charles was a keen player of lawn bowls and oversaw the leveling of the ground under the East Terrace to create a series of three bowling greens.
Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Oliver Dixon
During the period between 1820 and 1830 when George IV was in power, the bowling greens were demolished to make way for a formal garden that would offer the king a degree of privacy from the parkland, which was still open to the public at the time. Sketched by Sir Charles Long, George IV’s artistic adviser, and executed by the architect Geoffrey Wyattville, the new East Terrace Garden was divided into four rectangles by a diagonal path, visible not only on the ground but in a bird’s eye view from the grand apartments of the Kings’ new state apartments. Wyattville’s design included a large orangery built into the north wall to house 34 orange trees.
The garden was slightly redesigned during Queen Victoria’s reign, with particular interest taken by her husband, Prince Albert, who was a keen botanist. At that time, it was open to the public again on weekends, and a secret passage was added under the terrace, allowing the royal family to access the orangery without being seen. The garden’s biggest upheaval came during World War II, when it became a temporary allotment in the Dig for Victory campaign. 14 flowerbeds were turned into vegetable beds to provide food for the local people, and two small plots were set aside for the young princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, to do their part for the war effort. After the war, meanwhile Queen Elizabeth IIIn the reign of , the garden was redesigned by Prince Philip to a new, simpler design, and 3,500 roses were planted.
