Arthur Chadwick of Chadwick & Son Orchids greets Queen Camilla at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Chadwick & Son Orchids of Richmond is accustomed to winning awards and recognition domestically for its plants. In May, owner Arthur Chadwick added an international award to his trophy case: a Silver-Gilt Medal from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, awarded at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show in London. It was the firm’s first appearance at the show.
Due to international shipping rules, Chadwick, the only American exhibitor, was unable to bring his own orchids from Virginia and had to rely on the generosity of local growers to lend plants for the display. Designing and building a full-size exhibit from across the Atlantic Ocean required significant planning, including a two-week period in the capital city to prepare for the show. Chadwick’s exhibit also included rare orchid artifacts from the Victorian era, displayed in clear boxes similar to museum displays, as well as poster-size photographs of the royal namesake orchids Chadwick has cultivated but could not bring.
Camilla’s namesake cattleya orchid
In a nod to the tradition, Chadwick dedicated part of his exhibition space to showcasing images of his royal orchids, including a specimen named after Britain’s Queen Camilla, who attended the show with her husband. While King Charles was viewing other displays, the queen headed straight for the orchids and visited Chadwick’s exhibition. The unplanned visit gave Chadwick the chance to show the queen a photograph of her namesake orchid.
“It was thrilling to be on the world stage, receive this prestigious award and meet the queen,” Chadwick says of his royal encounter. “Since their introduction in the late 1800s, orchids have been very popular among both royalty and everyday people.”
