With a new rose named ‘Queen Elizabeth II’ being launched for the Jubilee, Steven Desmond looks back at the history of naming plants after monarchs.
There is a long history of naming things after monarchs. The present Queen, who has been unfailingly in post since before even I was born, is thus blessed with an inordinately long list of ships, buildings, mountain ranges, islands, horse races, railway engines, national parks and, of course, plants bearing her name….
