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Did you know King Charles created a unisex fragrance inspired by his beloved gardens?

Will this be King Charles' chosen scent for his coronation, we wonder? 

Britain's Prince Charles smells a 'Highgrove' rose, during a visit by members of the royal family to the annual Chelsea Flower Show in London on May 18
Leanne Bayley
Director of Lifestyle & Commerce
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Last summer, King Charles added another string to his bow - by becoming a perfumer. That's right, a then-HRH The Prince of Wales collaborated with British perfume brand Penhaligon's and created a heavenly scent as "a tribute to the magnificently fragrant summers at Highgrove Gardens".

Penhaligon’s worked with The Prince’s Foundation on the unique collaboration for Highgrove Bouquet and it has been a bestseller ever since. 

Will this be Charles' chosen scent for his coronation? 

RELATED: What do the royals smell like? King Charles, Princess Kate, Prince William & Co's favourite scents

What's more, ten percent of proceeds will help fund the Prince's Trust's training and education programmes including those in heritage crafts, traditional arts, horticulture, fashion and textiles, and sustainable food and farming for thousands of pupils and students each year

King Charles has been an active and passionate advocate for sustainability for over 50 years. In line with his environmental vision, this fragrance has been developed in a way that is mindful of the need to respect the planet, replacing plastic with 100% recycled and recyclable paper and sugar cane eco-foam and printing using all organic ink, free of mineral oils.

Flowers are a huge passion for King Charles, and he loves the gardens within his private residence at Highgrove.

King Charles amongst the Alliums during a visit to Kew Gardens© Chris Jackson
King Charles amongst the alliums during a visit to Kew Gardens

The floral scents of silver lime, mimosa and cedar are taken from the gardens at Highgrove House, the official private residence of King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort.

The Tilla Petiolaris, also known as the weeping silver lime, releases a distinct fragrance, much to the pleasure of the bees. 

King Charles smells a red rose during a visit to the Sandringham Flower Show on July 27, 2005© Anwar Hussein
King Charles smells a red rose during a visit to the Sandringham Flower Show on July 27, 2005

Highgrove Gardens is decorated with these elegant deciduous trees, with their silver lined heart-shaped leaves, flecked with yellow sprays of flowers that delicately perfume the air; not only outside, in the grounds - but also inside the house!

Planted close to Highgrove Gardens, when the days are warm, and the windows open, the rooms are reportedly filled with "what can only be described as "the smell of earthly sunshine".

The fragrance is designed to be uplifting, sun-filled and radiant, bustling with warm energy.

MORE: Prince Charles' aftershave revealed - and it's yours for £245 a bottle

One happy shopper wrote: "This fragrance is second to none. The change in fragrance the longer it wears goes from strength to strength. A really floral smell that reminds me of freshly cut gardens to start develops into a flower garden smell." 

While another wrote: "Brought this on a whim as I couldn't get a sample of it and it's beautiful. It's a very outdoors vibe and smell to it. I really enjoy it, but it's definitely a garden scent vibe."

A young King Charles smelling some flowers at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in Surrey© Tim Graham
A young King Charles smelling some flowers at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in Surrey

Another wrote: "I cannot wear floral fragrances, but this doesn’t smell like a floral ‘perfume’… it genuinely smells like a real English garden on a sunny day, very different; greens, trees, the moist air, the warm sun. Hints of green tea, cut grass and cedar neutralises the gender. Comparing floral samples side by side (Penhaligon's, Matiere Premiere, Kilian...), what makes this floral distinctly different is that there is something unique that conveys a feeling of bright light.

"The perfumer used the process of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry molecular analysis to recreate the unique scent of the garden. It's like a recording studio for scents, absolutely fascinating technology.

"Unlike most of the Penhaligon's collection, this EDP has endurance, clinging to my skin and evolving to a lovely cedar for over 4 hours-If you are making an EDP for the future King, you better not cheap out.

"Not only did I buy a full bottle, but my husband and I are planning a trip to the Highgrove estate to walk in the hanging silver lime garden that was recorded to create this masterpiece." 

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