Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Smiling Princess of Wales is seen enjoying beekeeping

Buckingham Palace beekeepers have been pictured hard at work to mark World Bee Day.

Tony Jones
Saturday 20 May 2023 12:02 BST
The Princess of Wales attending to a hive last summer in the gardens at Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace/PA)
The Princess of Wales attending to a hive last summer in the gardens at Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace/PA) (PA Media)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A smiling Princess of Wales is seen enjoying beekeeping.

Kate is seen in a photograph tending to a hive in an image which has been released to mark World Bee Day

It was taken last summer at the Anmer Hall property Kate shares with William on the Sandringham Estate and where she keeps bees.

A tweet posted alongside the photograph, reads: “We are buzzing about #WorldBeeDay Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem and today is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy.”

Buckingham Palace beekeepers have also been pictured hard at work to mark World Bee Day.

The Queen is also a keen apiarist, and keeps bees at Raymill, her six-bedroom retreat in Lacock, Wiltshire, 17 miles from the King’s Highgrove home.

During a visit to Launceston, Cornwall, last summer Camilla met honey-producers selling jars in the town square, and told them she was a hands-on beekeeper and had only lost one colony during the previous winter.

Honey produced by Camilla’s bees is sold at Fortnum & Mason to raise funds for charity.

This year’s recipient is Nigeria’s first sexual assault referral centre, which the Queen supports as patron.

She is also president of Bees For Development, a charity training beekeepers and protecting bee habitats in more than 50 countries.

Buckingham Palace is home to four beehives on an island in a lake in the garden, and are two hives in Clarence House’s garden.

The hives produced more than 300 jars of honey last year for the palace kitchens, and it was often served in honey madeleines, as a filling for chocolate truffles or in honey and cream sponge.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in