Princess of Wales Floribunda Roses

Princess of Wales Rose

Princess of Wales is a charming floribunda rose. Pretty cream buds open to reveal full double flowers of pure white, all frills and abundance with a golden tiara of stamens at the centre of each. The flowers are held in clusters of up to nine per stem. The Princess of Wales rose really is the belle of the blooms ball. Her scent is fresh, not overpowering, and her foliage dark, glossy and healthy. Those flowers come in flushes, from early summer (she gets off the mark quickly in the season) right through to mid autumn or even later. And of course, she holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, so you're pretty much guaranteed a health and beauty. What's not to love? I suppose if you're after bright, in-your-face colour, a climber, rambler or old rose, she may not be for you. If so, take a look at the rest of our UK grown roses for sale.

Royal alliances

Although Princess of Wales is gorgeous enough for a solo venture - in a patio pot for example - she also associates well with other shrubs and perennials in a mixed bed. Plant her with nepeta for a cool blue and white combo that will take your breath away. Or underplant with a classic pairing of hardy geraniums, in pink, violet or blue. Planted en masse in a rose bed, Princess of Wales looks striking, perhaps with a low hedge of box or lavender around her, a smaller variety such as Hidcote won't overpower her. In a pot, she must be well watered and fed to keep those gorgeous flowers coming, and mulch with well-rotted manure or garden compost at least once a year. As always, keep your roses deadheaded and they'll perform even better.

Features of Princess of Wales

• Height: to 90cm
• Spread: to 60cm
• Colour: creamy white
• Shape of flower: double, cupped
• Size of flower: large
• Scent: light, fresh
• Flowering: repeat through summer
• Group: floribunda rose
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

The Princess's story

There's quite a tale to tell in the naming of this rose. In 1997, The British Lung Foundation asked Harkness to name a rose for its patron, Diana, Princess of Wales. Charles and Diana having divorced, at this point Diana was no longer Princess of Wales, yet Buckingham Palace allowed the use of the title as it was for a good cause. Diana chose the rose after looking at a selection of Harkness seedlings. For each Princess of Wales rose sold, a donation was made to the British Lung Foundation. Just a few months later, in August, Diana died in that Paris car accident. Demand for her rose outstripped supply by ten years, and Harkness had to close its phone and fax lines. Thousands of stems of the rose were used for her funeral in Westminster Abbey, some in the little wreath on her coffin.