The last of Queen Elizabeth’s projects drew to a close over the weekend as King Charles and Prince William wrapped up the late sovereign’s tree-planting initiative.
The initiative, called Queen’s Green Canopy, was in honour of the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, which celebrated an astonishing 70 years on the throne.
The project kicked off in March 2021 with a photo of then-Prince Charles and his mother planting a tree on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
On Sunday, Charles and William concluded the initiative with a photo and a poignant message.
“It is hard to believe that two years have passed since my mother and I planted a tree in Windsor Great Park to mark the commencement of The Queen’s Green Canopy,” the king said in a personal message on Sunday, signified by his sign off as “Charles R.” The “R” stands for “rex,” which is Latin for “king.”
“As the second planting season draws to a close, and with it this vitally important initiative, I particularly wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone from across the United Kingdom who has helped to plant over three million trees to create an enduring legacy in Queen Elizabeth’s name,” the king added.
“This project has shown how simple, practical and positive gestures can make a big difference, and I can think of no more fitting tribute to Her late Majesty’s seventy-year reign,” the monarch said.
The initiative was extended once by Charles, a patron of the project, to allow people to plant trees in memory of the late queen. The queen died on Sep. 8, 2022.
In a little over a month, Charles will be coronated at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Charles will be the 40th monarch to be crowned at the Abbey, which has held coronations since 1066.
Ahead of the coronation and weekend celebrations, the Prince of Wales made headlines on Tuesday when Kensington Palace announced that Jacinda Arden, former prime minister of New Zealand, would join the board of William’s prestigious environmental awards, called the Earthshot Prize.
“It is an honour to welcome Jacinda to The Earthshot Prize team,” the prince said in a Kensington Palace release shared with HuffPost.
“Four years ago, before The Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to, and her encouragement and advice was crucial to the Prize’s early success. I am hugely grateful to her for joining us as she takes the next steps in her career.”
Across the pond, Meghan Markle added yet another accolade to the list when she was announced on Monday as one of the honourees of Ms. Foundation for Women’s 2023 Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power. The honour comes just days after the Duchess of Sussex was named the Gracie Awards’ top Entertainment Podcast Host for her podcast, “Archetypes.”