Earl of Wessex | Ashridge House

As HRH Earl of Wessex embarked on his visit to Hertfordshire, he visited former Royal residence, Ashridge House.

As part of a visit to Hertfordshire, on March 9th 2023, HRH The Earl of Wessex spent the afternoon at Ashridge House in Berkhamsted. The highlight was a ceremonial planting of an oak tree by HRH in honour of his mother, HM Queen Elizabeth II and father, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The new tree was planted next to the oak tree that their ancestor Queen Victoria planted in 1823.

Earl of Wessex shakes hands with the Ashridge House team

The Ashridge Estate is no stranger to hosting royals – being a former residence of Queen Elizabeth I, and more recently in the 19th century, the house had a reputation for its exclusive literary and cultural gatherings, hosted by the sophisticated socialite Lady Marian Aldford. At that time, the guest list frequently included British and European royalty. Queen Victoria and her family enjoyed the warm hospitality and beautiful surroundings.

Earl of Wessex holds a shovel and smiles while planting a tree

Vice President of Ashridge House, Morten Davidsen said: ‘’We are delighted to be welcoming more and more visitors to Ashridge House. We are on a journey to restore and renovate the House. So, to have a member of the Royal Family visit and meet the team, who are working so hard to achieve this goal, is wonderful.”

Earl of Wessex smiles at a cake with candles as others sing Happy Birthday

Following the planting of the tree, the children from Little Gaddesden Primary School sang happy birthday to HRH The Earl of Wessex, which he celebrated on 10th March. HRH was then introduced to local students from Berkhamsted School who are currently taking part in the world-famous Duke of Edinburgh Awards, pioneered by his late father HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

For further information on the tour, please email sophie@heynabo.co.uk