A historic garden at Windsor Castle, transformed according to the King’s vision and inspired by the planet Venus, will open to visitors this summer. The newly renamed and redesigned Venus Garden, located beneath the royal residence’s famous east facade, showcases Charles’ passion for patterns found in nature.
Garden Design Inspired by Venus
The space, first used as a garden in the 1820s during the reign of George IV, now takes its design from the petal-shaped orbit of Earth’s closest planetary neighbour. Traced over eight years, Venus’s orbit creates a geometric floral pattern known as the Pentagram of Venus or the Rose of Venus. This motif has inspired the layout of new perennial beds and evergreen hedge-lined pathways in the former East Terrace Garden.
Visitors can wander through the area at the Berkshire castle from July 16 to September 13. Adam Scott, gardens and nursery manager at Windsor Castle, said: “This has been a significant project to reshape this historic garden for the future, reflecting His Majesty’s vision to create a space that will offer beauty, interest and biodiversity throughout the seasons and for generations to come.”
He added: “After around 18 months of careful transformation, we are delighted to open the Venus Garden to visitors this summer, marking the start of an important new chapter in the garden’s 200-year history.”
Historical Significance
The site was once Charles II’s bowling green, and later Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert took an interest in its planting. During the Second World War, the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret used it as an allotment. The King’s father, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, later simplified the layout into formal rose beds and commissioned a central fountain.
Inspired by Charles, the space has been updated with an enhanced intricate planting scheme, offering year-round structure and long periods of blooms with mixed perennials, roses, and 11,000 spring bulbs. Wildflower meadows, dotted with trees and threaded with pathways, introduce softer, more naturalistic areas within the formal layout, creating a biodiverse haven for wildlife and insects. This reflects the King’s longstanding commitment to sustainability.
Visitors to the castle’s terrace will also see new avenues of pear trees, topiary yew shrubs, bronze Hubert Le Sueur figure sculptures made for Charles I from the Royal Collection, as well as large-scale marble, bronze, and stone vases and other garden ornaments.
Visitor Information
The area has only intermittently been open to the public throughout its history and will give tourists the rare opportunity to enjoy impressive views of the castle’s east facade, seldom seen as part of the usual visitor route. Access to the Venus Garden is included with a standard ticket to Windsor Castle between July 16 and September 13, at no extra charge. People receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits can visit the castle and explore the garden with up to five members of their household through the Royal Collection Trust’s £1 ticket scheme.
