King’s Coronation tree to put roots down at University of Leicester beauty spot
University of Leicester Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, left, receiving the Coronation tree plaque from His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE, at the Botanic Garden, on Tuesday 14 November 2023.
The King’s personal representative for Leicestershire has chosen a much-loved University of Leicester beauty spot as the location for an official Coronation tree.
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE, has selected the Botanic Garden, in Oadby, as the place to plant a sapling as a lasting legacy of King Charles III’s Coronation.
The King granted funds to each of the United Kingdom’s Lord-Lieutenants to plant one tree in the area they represent, to commemorate the Coronation.
The University was one of numerous organisations across the county invited by Mr Kapur to submit a bid to host a Coronation tree. Accessibility to the public and an ability to provide long-term care and maintenance to the tree were crucial to the Botanic Garden’s winning bid.
A University team will select a specimen to plant over the next few weeks, with an official unveiling ceremony planned for spring 2024.
The Lord-Lieutenant travelled to the Botanic Garden on Tuesday 14 November, the King’s birthday, to present University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, with a plaque which will be installed next to the Coronation tree.
The Lord-Lieutenant said: “I am delighted that the University are going to be the home of His Majesty’s Coronation Tree for Leicester and Leicestershire. It was very important to me that the tree was planted in a location accessible to all across the city and county, and I was particularly struck by the University’s legacy plans and focus upon the local environment, all of which uphold the values and priorities of HM The King.”
Professor Canagarajah said: “The University’s history since the granting of the Royal Charter in 1957 has been intertwined with that of the monarchy and it is pleasing that this legacy continues at the start of King Charles’s reign.
“This tree-planting in our magnificent Botanic Garden will create a lasting legacy of King Charles III’s Coronation and an abiding memory of his passion for safeguarding the planet. We are proud to be a part of this public commitment to connect communities with nature which is part of the ethos of the Botanic Garden.”