This week, Her Majesty the Queen paid a special visit to leading animal welfare charity Battersea to officially open a new sensory garden for rescue dogs at its London centre.
It was the Queen’s first visit to the centre since 2016 and marked a significant moment for the charity. On arrival, Her Majesty was welcomed by a cheerful guard of honour made up of Battersea dogs Bertie, Phoenix, Bella and Dipsy, along with staff, volunteers and supporters.
During the visit, the Queen was given a personal tour of the garden by Battersea’s Chief Executive, Peter Laurie, and Lead Horticulturalist, Dawn Richards. They explained how the space has been designed as a calming, enriching environment where dogs can play, train, exercise – or simply rest beneath the trees. Two of Battersea’s current residents, Olive and Mertle, were on hand to put the garden through its paces, enjoying a lively game of fetch with their royal guest.
The garden, designed by Monty Don and Jamie Butterworth, was originally created for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and later generously donated by the Royal Horticultural Society and BBC Radio 2, ensuring its legacy would live on at Battersea.
Her Majesty spent time speaking with gardening volunteers, Monty Don, and others involved in the project, before meeting a number of Battersea’s long-time supporters and ambassadors, including Amanda Holden, David Gandy, Dame Jacqueline Wilson DBE, Sarah Fisher and Sue Perkins. The visit concluded with the official unveiling of a commemorative plaque.
Peter Laurie, Battersea’s Chief Executive, said:
“It was an absolute honour to welcome our Patron, Her Majesty the Queen, to Battersea and introduce her to our dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters. During the visit, Her Majesty officially opened our new dog garden – a sensory space that the dogs in our care will benefit from tremendously. With so many animals arriving at our centres each year, it is vital that we create calm and enriching environments where they can exercise, train and relax.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a Patron who has been a longstanding supporter of Battersea and who understands the importance of the work that rescues do. Today was a wonderful opportunity to speak with Her Majesty about the work we are doing here and further afield, as well as share our ambitions to help millions of dogs and cats worldwide.”
The new garden is one of many outdoor spaces at Battersea’s London site where rescue animals can begin to heal and thrive. In 2024 alone, the charity took in 2,766 dogs and 2,454 cats across its three centres in London, Kent and Windsor – including 241 transferred from other rescues around the UK.
Photographer: Richard Lea Hair. Her Majesty The Queen visits Battersea’s London centre to open a new dog garden.