A new avenue of trees has been planted at Marble Hill in a poignant dedication to the Queen and next year's Platinum Jubilee.

The planting ceremony saw the Mayor of Richmond and Twickenham, local schools and community leaders help plant the trees.

The new avenue of trees is just one of a series of initiatives by heritage charity to celebrate the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

The act of planting memorial trees to mark important occasions or in remembrance of particular individuals is a significant gesture in modern British culture.

It has been a hallmark of previous Royal jubilee celebrations, and also used to commemorate those killed during the world wars, with nature seen as a symbol of healing and renewal after the tumult of conflict.

The tree planting was supported by pupils and staff of Orlean's Secondary School and Windsor Kindergarten, based in Twickenham, and the Chairs of Richmond Rotary Club and East Twickenham Traders.

The recently planted avenue of trees, at Marble Hill, are the last of the avenues planted at the site to restore the vista from the house at Marble Hill as it was in its Georgian heyday.

English Heritage has been working on a programme of improvements across Marble Hill since 2019 following a £5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Community Fund and £2m investment from English Heritage.

As part of this project English Heritage have been restoring and conserving the house itself and the gardens of Henrietta Howard - who built Marble Hill in the 18th century.

The avenue is now part of the Queen's Canopy and English Heritage's commitment to the planting of over 70 trees across it's sites to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

Rachel Morrison, Audience Development Manager, English Heritage said: "Commemorative trees are a poignant way of marking significant personal and national moments with a long-lasting gesture.

"From monarchs to wartime communities, many people across Britain have taken part in this tradition over the last century to celebrate landmark events or the legacy of loved ones they have lost.

"English Heritage is delighted to have planted these trees today ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, and we hope visitors will enjoy taking a moment of reflection among them in the years to come."

The histories of English Heritage's iconic sites demonstrate the popularity of commemorative tree initiatives over the last century, including among the royal family. At her holiday home Osborne on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria took part in numerous ceremonies to mark both joyful and sombre occasions. .

At Walmer Castle in Kent – the former home of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley – a wellingtonia was previously planted in commemoration of the anniversary of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo. Several other trees have also been planted in past decades by or for a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports at the castle, the Warden's official residence. These have included an oak tree planted by the Queen Mother, and a tulip tree by Sir Winston Churchill.

Over the course of the coming months, English Heritage will evoke this history by planting over 70 trees at its castles, stately homes, and abbeys across the country, in participation with the Queen's Green Canopy jubilee initiative.

To find out more about the plans, and to explore the history of commemorative tree planting, visit here.