Prince Charles turns Highgrove gardens into playground for grandson George

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The shepherd's hut was given to Charles to mark George's 1st birthday
The tree house was originally installed for William’s 7th birthday in 1989
Charles has made the gardens at his private home his life’s work
He has owned the Gloucestershire property since 1980

By Rebecca English for MailOnline

Published: 16:04 EST, 28 July 2015 | Updated: 16:53 EST, 28 July 2015

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It has been said that he doesn’t see as much of his grandson as he would like.

But that hasn’t stopped Prince George’s doting grandfather Prince Charles turning his beloved gardens at Highgrove into a veritable toddler’s playground.

The heir to the throne, who has made the gardens at his private Gloucestershire home his life’s work, has recently refurbished the tree house once played in by George’s father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, for the little prince to inherit.

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Doting grandfather Prince Charles has turned his beloved gardens at Highgrove into a veritable toddler’s playground

The heir to the throne has made the gardens at his private Gloucestershire home his life’s work

To cap that he has also installed a £20,000 hand-made artisan shepherd’s hut – complete with a little bed, woodburner and French oak wooden floors – in his wildflower meadow for George to enjoy.

And the prince and his now two-year-old grandson have even planted a Balsam Poplar tree in the gardens within sight of the main house as a lasting memory of their time together.

Charles has owned Highgrove House since 1980, having bought it from Maurice Macmillan, a Conservative MP and son of the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

He has added to the estate over the years and now owns around 1,900 acres of strictly organically-farmed land.

The gardens, however, around the house are his particular passion and the prince can regularly be found with his hands in the earth, weeding, pruning and planting.

Neither his sons appear to have inherited his green fingers but Charles clearly hopes that his grandson might pick up the bug.

According to well-placed royal sources, George, pictured here playing outside with his mother Kate, regularly enjoys picnics in the gardens with grandfather Charles who has even bought him a tea set, complete with plastic cups, to play with

Prince George plays with Kate as Royal family attend polo

The little prince, who is third in line to the throne, is said to be particularly taken with the spectacular tree house his grandfather had built for William and Harry in 1989

According to well-placed royal sources, the future king regularly enjoys picnics in the gardens with George and has even bought him a tea set, complete with plastic cups, to play with.

The little prince, who is third in line to the throne, is said to be particularly taken with the spectacular treehouse his grandfather had built for William and Harry.

Hidden away in an area of the garden known as The Stumpery (so-called because there are layers upon layers of old tree stumps and logs) it was designed by William Bertram for the then five and three-year-old princes.

Mr Bertram asked to interview the boys about what they wanted and William told him: ‘I want it to be as high as possible so I can get away from everyone and I want a rope ladder which I can pull up so no-one can get at me.’

The treehouse – named Hollyrood House after the Queen’s palace in Scotland, but also because it was originally built in a holly bush – was finally installed just in time for William’s seventh birthday in 1989.

Charles has owned Highgrove House since 1980, having bought it from Maurice Macmillan, a Conservative MP and son of the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan

The gardens around the house are Charles' particular passion and the prince can regularly be found with his hands in the earth, weeding, pruning and planting

It had holly leaf-shaped balusters and a thatched roof, as well as a long rope leading to a trap door for William, and later Harry, to shin up.

Charles even obtained a royal opening tape which was ceremonially cut by the boys as their new plaything was unveiled.

The tree house has since been re-sited after the holly tree died and is now held up by slate towers. The trap door has also been removed with a new entrance featuring a holly leaf-shaped door installed, and will soon be re-thatched.

But it is still an exciting place for a young prince to explore and George is now a frequent visitor.

The little prince also enjoys exploring the charming shepherd’s hut given to his grandfather to mark his first birthday last year, which was also something of a thank you to Charles to for the help he gave its makers more than a decade ago through his Prince’s Youth Business Trust.

The prince and his now two-year-old grandson have even planted a Balsam Poplar tree in the gardens within sight of the main house as a lasting memory of their time together

Fashioned out of corrugated iron, it took Richard Lee of Dorchester-based Plankbridge 250 hours to make, is 12 foot long and has an English oak window and door.

Painted in Charles’s favourite pale duck egg blue, the Victorian-style hut even has its own woodburner and bed, furnished by the royal grandfather himself.

One source said: ‘It is sited on the main drive to the house in a wildflower meadow and Prince George loves it.’

Maker Mr Lee told the Mail: ‘We crafted it for the prince with our most heartfelt thanks and feel very proud that Prince George is now playing in it.’

The hut isn’t far from the Poplar tree that Charles and his grandson recently planted together earlier this year – with much waving of shovels and watering cans, by all account - that the prince can view from the window of his exquisite honey-hued Cotswold stone home.

One aide told the Mail: ‘The gardens at Highgrove have always been the prince’s passion but he has never lost sight of the fact that this is a family home where his children and now grandchildren play.

‘He and Prince George have already spent some very happy times here together and will no doubt spend many more.’

The Royal Gardens at Highgrove are open to members of the public on selected days. Up to 40,000 people tour them every year, raising a laudable £650,000 for the prince’s charities.

Tickets are still available to visit for selected days until Friday 16th October. To check availability and to book please visit www.highgrovegardens.com.

THE SHAND GATE: TRIBUTE TO CAMILLA'S BROTHER MARK

The towering stone entrance into the New Cottage Garden has been renamed The Shand Gate in memory of charismatic conservationist, and Camilla's brother, Mark Shand

Over the years he was renowned as an adventurer, conservationist – and lover of women.

So it’s rather fitting that the gardens at Highgrove now bear a tribute to the Duchess of Cornwall’s late brother, Mark Shand, featuring an eye-catching topiary elephant and an even more eye-catching bust.

The Duchess of Cornwall is also in the process of creating a topiary elephant in memory

The towering stone entrance into the New Cottage Garden has been renamed The Shand Gate in memory of the charismatic 62-year-old who died tragically after hitting his head on the pavement outside a fund-raising party in New York last year.

The gate bears several mementos of both Charles’ travels over the years including a set of green gates from India and the carved torso of a naked woman – possibly a nod to Mark’s relationships with some of the most beautiful women in the world, including model Marie Helvin.

On the grass next to it is a topiary elephant bought by Camilla in honour of his charity the Elephant Family and the pachyderm he once rode across India, Tara.