The English landscape has been scorched by the multiple heatwaves this summer has brought, and it transpires that King Charles' beloved Windsor Castle hasn't escaped the devastation. A brand-new aerial shot, taken from an aeroplane window, has revealed the extent of the damage on the land surrounding the 956-year-old building.
The photograph was shared by Royal Collection trust on Monday, and the caption read: "If you're flying into Heathrow this summer keep an eye out for a special view of Windsor Castle that not everyone will get to see. These fantastic shots of the Castle, taken from a plane window, were shared with us recently.
"Did you spot the bird’s-eye view of the Venus Garden with its perfectly laid out circular patterns?"
Royal fans were quick to point out the burned yellowing grass, with one simply writing: "I see drought..." and another adding: "Aside from everything being horribly dry, it really looks amazing from above." A third penned: "I just can’t get over how DRY everything is!" with a fourth commenting: "it's strange to see it all parched."
Luckily, some of the trees and decorative hedges have retained their verdant nature, but the grass is clearly blanched.
© Getty ImagesThames Water and South East Water, which are the two water companies in operation in Windsor, both have hosepipe bans in place, preventing people from using their hosepipes in their gardens, which means this will apply to the royal residence too.
However, there are farms on wider estate, which will be excluded from the restrictions due to the need to continue operating. The animals on the farms include milking cows, breeding cows and laying hens.
Charles' hosepipe ban exception at Highgrove
Down the road in Highgrove, Gloucestershire, the same hosepipe ban applies; however, there's a special reason that part of the monarch's gardens are exempt from the rules. Within the grounds of his beloved country home, Charles grows produce for his shop and for use in his products, and this means that the grounds are used for business purposes and are therefore allowed to be watered with a hosepipe, to keep the produce thriving.
The monarch sells chutney, marmalade and honey which all include ingredients from the gardens. He even sells gin, apple juice and whisky via the online shop and on-site store.
A change in the UK weather
While we've had a very long hot summer, rain has started creeping in and this week the Met Office predicts that "heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop, particularly across England and Wales, with a more organised area of thundery rain approaching southwestern areas later in the day".
While a period of significant rainfall may be welcomed, it poses a risk of flooding due to the dry ground not absorbing the moisture.
