King Charles has drawn criticism due to a “chic” item on sale in the Highgrove shop for an eye-watering price. Located near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, Highgrove House is the King and Queen Camilla’s 18th-century family home and is known for its impressive “interlinked” gardens.
The estate hosts tours and events throughout the year for members of the public, who can dine at its Orchard Room Restaurant, described as an “elegant, table-serviced dining room” with views over the Orchard Terrace. It also has a shop, where customers can treat themselves to a range of products across a number of categories, including food and drink, home and garden, bath and body, clothing and accessories, and even jewellery.
One item, however, has been questioned by former Vogue journalist Plum Sykes, who The Mail’s Harriet Kean quotes as saying it’s “very chic” as “it’s the King”.
Harriet wrote: “King Charles has been flogging all sorts through the Highgrove gift shop, including bee hotels. Now news reaches me that he’s even selling wallpaper featuring images of his own garden at Highgrove for £266 a roll.”
She went on to cite Plum, claiming she “isn’t impressed” — and suggesting there could be a double standard when it comes to the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
Harriet quotes Plum: “If Meghan was doing that there would be a media storm but somehow, because it’s the King, it’s all very chic.”
A cursory glance at the Highgrove shop’s website reveals there is indeed a wallpaper for this price. The Stumpery Wallpaper, as its name suggests, draws inspiration from The Stumpery, a “tranquil, atmospheric garden” located at Highgrove.
Available in three “evocative” colourways, dell, lichen or fern, the first option of dell (mural size) is up for grabs for £266, whereas the other two can be purchased for a slightly more modest £144.
In the description, it claims the wallpaper’s design “celebrates the Victorian tradition of stumperies, where ferns and lush greenery flourish among sculptural tree stumps”, embodying the garden’s “ethos of renewal and sustainability”.
It reads: “The wallpaper artfully captures Stumpery’s magical atmosphere, featuring details such as the classical green oak temple, the whimsical thatched treehouse, a wall of stones gifted to His Majesty, and the mystical Wood Nymph, ‘Goddess of the Wood’.”
It is but one of a number of floral wallpapers on offer on the website, with slightly more affordable offerings including the Topiary View for £98 and the Ancient Apple Orchard for £112.
Express.co.uk has approached Buckingham Palace and The King’s Foundation for comment.
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