It's a Royal family affair! Kate and William join the Queen as they visit the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time to view a bloom named after Princess Charlotte

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their first visit to the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show this evening as they joined several other members of the royal family including the Queen and Prince Philip at the annual floral festival. 

Although the Royal Horticultural Society event is one of the highlights of the royal summer calendar, William, 33, and Kate, 34, have never found the time to attend before.

But the couple, who were accompanied by Prince Harry, 31, had an added reason to attend this year, as they saw the pink and green chrysanthemum that has been named in honour of their daughter Princess Charlotte.

While the Queen's famously dry humour emerged as she commented on the poisonous qualities of two bunches of lily of the valley that she'd been given this week by people - she joked - who perhaps 'wanted her dead'.

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Kate coordinated her bright dress with pale-peach accessories and wore L.K.Bennett nude court shoes

Kate asks questions while Harry peers over at the roses behind the Duchess

The Duchess of Cambridge attends the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time and wore an emerald-green coat dress by Catherine Walker for the occasion

William and Kate see the Princess Charlotte Chrysanthemum, an eye-catching baby pink bloom with green tips, which has been named after their daughter, with Prince Harry

Kate looked at an intriguing garden named Antithesis of Sarcophagi, which consisted of a granite box with a hidden woodland inside

Her Majesty was pictured through the gap in the design which is filled with three lots of brightly-coloured hues

Princess Eugenie, left, looked elegant in a white fit-and-flare dress with silver heels, while her sister Beatrice wore a blue skirt with a black top and burgundy strappy heels. The sisters held pretty bunches of flowers as they toured the floral festival with their family

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who was wearing an Alexander McQueen dress, contemplated the breathtaking poppy installation made out of 300,000 hand knitted felt flowers in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea

Kate recycled an emerald-green Venetian wool coat dress with a hoop shirt by Catherine Walker, paired with nude heels and a pale-pink boxy clutch bag and smiled at William, in a dark suit and purple tie, as they entered the show.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said the couple's previous non-attendance had largely been down to 'diary issues' but added: 'This year the diary has worked out fine and especially in the Queen's 90th year, Their Royal Highnesses were keen to join her.'

Their first stop was the National Chrysanthemum Society where William and Kate spoke to Alison and John Peace who were displaying the new pink and green Rossano Charlotte, named after their daughter.

It is being sold for the first two years through Waitrose with half the profits going towards EACH - East Anglian Children's Hospice - of which Kate is patron.

William asked where they were available and joked: 'You could always steal one off the exhibit!' Kate told him: 'Waitrose are selling them!'

Clearly in a jovial mood on the couple's first visit to the show, William asked Alison and John Peace from the Chrysanthemum Society: 'Can you spell Chrysanthemum? I can't even say it.'

The 44 tonne granite cube contains a woodland that is only visible through narrow slits placed at different heights in the side

Kate wore her signature nude court shoes to elongate her legs with the structured dress, left, and looked deep in conversation, right

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Jerry Hall, Naomie Harris, Rosamund Pike, Demi Moore and Donna Air were all there today, and now the Duchess of Cambridge has arrived with the rest of the Royal Family to check out the glorious gardens.

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The Duchess asked: 'Do you have a favourite? You don't have to be biased.'

Pointing at the Rossano Charlotte in the centre of the display, Harry joked: 'What about the one that's in the middle.' 

The young royals stopped off at Peter Beale Roses, where they walked through an exquisitely-scented bower of blooms, and then onto an intriguing garden named Antithesis of Sarcophagi, which consisted of a granite box with a hidden woodland inside.  

Prince William exits his car in a dark-navy suit with a purple patterned tie after arriving at the floral celebration

Kate leans in to give a kiss on the cheek while greeting a guest at the event

Prince Harry wore a navy suit with black brogues to visit the show and see the blooms on display

Kate and William chatted to guests at the flower show with the Duchess wearing her hair in tousled waves

Prince William and the Duchess have previously not managed to attend the show due to 'diary issues' according to a royal spokesperson and looked delighted at the occasion

Prince William asked Alison and John Peace from the Chrysanthemum Society: 'Can you spell Chrysanthemum? I can't even say it'

The Duchess enthusiastically smiles as she's told about a rose display at the flower show 

Prince Harry is also eager to brush up on his horticultural knowledge and asks about the plants

A right Royal rose garden: Prince Harry and the Duchess look at the vibrant fuchsia roses on display

Kate leans in to have a whiff of a flower while Prince Harry shows a keen interest in the blooms

The 44 tonne granite cube contains a woodland that is only visible through narrow slits placed at different heights in the side.

The three stood gazing in before chatting to designers Martin Cook and Gary Breeze, who carved the lettering on the memorial to Princess Diana at Althorp.

Gary said: 'They loved it [the garden]. William asked if I had carved the memorial at Althorp. He was well aware of that.'

The Duke made light of his lack of horticultural knowledge, asking the couple who created the chrysanthemum named after their daughter: 'Without being too technical, because I probably won't understand what you are saying, did you cross pollinate to create it?'

Responding to an incredulous look from his brother, William joked: 'Alan Titchmarsh taught me a thing or two!'

'Thank you, it means so much to them,' said Kate, who wore LK Bennett nude heels.

'Do they grow well outside? Well done, it's beautiful,' said Kate as they left. 

Kate shares a joke with William and can't contain her laughter, left, as she grins by a romantic display, right

A floral display caught William and Kate's eye as they gazed up at the beautiful arrangements

Kate and William were all smiles as they walked through the flower show with William looking at the blooms behind the Duchess

Kate's bright coat dress is cinched in at the waist with a wide matching belt, left, and she wore the style zipped up to her neck, right

Kate's emerald-hued dress was contrasted by yellow daffodils as her and William were shown the impressive displays

The Duchess and Prince William walk around the prestigious gardening show features hundreds of stands and exhibition gardens

The royal couple were interested in the different gardens created for the occasion, left, with Kate asking lots of questions

Kate wore the front section of her hair up in a flattering style with delicate drop earrings in the shape of a leaf

William looked in his element but admitted he wasn't particularly green fingered, left, while the couple looked in great spirits as they walked around the show

William took a turn to look through the granite structure at the Antithesis of Sarcophagi at the hidden woodland inside

Kate looked radiant with minimal makeup beside a warm smoky eye and a natural nude lip

Kate suffered a runny nose but was prepared for the occasion and whipped out a tissue from her box clutch 

Kate gives a warm smile to Chelsea Pensioner Rich Graham when the young royals toured the Chelsea Barracks Garden

Harry, William and Kate all listened to Chelsea Pensioner Rich as they look around the garden

The royal couple looked down at the poppy installation with Kate holding her own knitted bloom to add to the display

'Yes it's lovely, thank you so much,' added William.

Later the Queen even stopped off for a little peek at the flower named after her adored great-granddaughter. 

At the nearby 5000 Poppies project - a stunning sea of 300,000 knitted flowers from Australia laid out in front of the Royal Hospital - the trio looked deeply moved.

Kate knelt down alongside one of the designers Lynn Berry, for whom this has been a three-year labour of love, for a closer look, telling her: 'I love the fluffy ones.'

Lynn told her: 'They're made of felt.'

Fellow designer Margaret Knight said she had 'jelly legs' after the royal visit, adding: 'Everyone is gobsmacked [by the garden], it's stunning. This sort of thing is very close to their hearts, they were very intrigued by it.

'William asked Kate, "could you make one of these, darling?"

Kate said as she laid her own knitted poppy: 'Well done, I'm so impressed with this.'

Kate points out the detailing in the knitted-poppy installation at the show with William placing his carefully

Kate leans down to touch the carpet of poppies as William looks moved by the display

Kate knelt down alongside one of the designers Lynn Berry, for whom this has been a three-year labour of love, for a closer look, telling her: 'I love the fluffy ones'

Kate and William bumped into the Prince Michael of Kent during their tour

Kate previously wore the coat dress in 2014 on a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, left, and looked stunning in a vibrant green coat dress and was in high spirits for her first visit to the flower show today, right

Next the young royals toured the Chelsea Barracks Garden before stopping to chat to Chelsea Pensioner Rich Graham outside the M&G Garden.

William joked: 'Thank you for having us at your bash. We will keep the noise down.'

They also stopped to inspect the Support the Husqvarna Garden, which was shipped from Melbourne, Australia, for the show.

Thrilled designers Charlie Albone and Mick Conway described the experience as 'unreal'.

Mick said: 'They seemed very interested in the garden. William in particular, he said, 'This for me is gold by far.' He also asked what this plant was [pointing to a Buxus] and Kate said to him, 'darling, we've got that '.'

The Queen arrived at Chelsea Flower Show in a pale-blue coat and a floral dress in a matching pastel blue

The Queen planned to view the 21ft floral arch containing 10,000 pastel blooms, marking her 90th birthday and was presented with a posy

The Queen wore a delicate floral brooch as well as her patterned dress to keep in with the theme of the day

As they toured the gardens William and Kate bumped into a a few family members - Princess Alexandra and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent - and kissed them warmly before stopping off at the exhibit created by celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin, which contained revolving trees and bushes.

'It's a funky look,' remarked William.

The Queen, in a pale-blue tailored coat with a matching pastel, floral dress, was escorted by her husband, Prince Philip, to the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and also viewed the 21 foot floral arch marking her 90th birthday - containing 10,000 pastel blooms - before being greeted by the President of the Royal Horticultural Society, Sir Nicholas Bacon.  

The Queen looks delighted to be surrounded by beautiful flowers and holds up a bouquet of lilies

The Queen was clearly impressed by the 'Behind Every Great Florist' design, which pays tribute to the monarch's image

Her Majesty gamely poses in front of her own image, with her profile created from the inventive floral design

The Queen seemed fascinated by the craftsmanship and design of the display, which used the famous silhouette of Her Majesty used on postage stamps

The Queen joked about the dangerous qualities of plants as a herb gardener told her that lily of the valley was previously used as poison

The Queen showed she has not lost her sense of humour aged 90, as she joked that she had been the victim of an assassination attempt.

Herb gardener Jekka McVicar told her how lily of the valley was previously used as a poison.

'It has the same properties as digitalis, [foxglove],' Miss McVicar, designer of the St John’s Hospice garden, told her.

The Queen laughed: ‘I’ve been given two bunches this week. Perhaps they want me dead!' '

Miss McVicar also gave the Queen a bunch of herbs to smell, including lemon verbena, which seemed to go down better.

'She said it was lovely,' she later said.

One of the highlights of her tour came when the Queen was photographed behind a cut-out of her own head, filled with flowers.

The striking image, filled with hydrangeas, sweet peas, alliums, freesias, roses and other flowers, was designed by florist Ming Veevers Carter for the New Covent Garden Flower Market.

'Did you take it [the image] from the stamp or the coin?' the Queen asked her. The stamp, Ms Veevers Carter replied.

'It's very nice,' she added.

Princess Eugenie wore a short-sleeved white shift dress with delicate embroidery of blooms around the hem

Princess Beatrice arrived in a dusky blue full skirt with a structured leather detail top and maroon strap-detailed shoes

Princess Eugenie and Beatrice arrive for the celebrations with both choosing full-skirted outfits striking heels for the occasion

Prince Andrew, left, walked ahead of his daughter's and was deep in conversation

The Queen also stopped to chat to veteran rose breeder David Austin, who is still working, like the Queen, at the age of 90.

He was born in February 1926, two months before the Queen, and showed her his latest creation, a white rose called Roald Dahl.

When he told Her Majesty his age, she replied: '1926 was a very good vintage!'  

While William, Kate and Harry aren't the only young royals attending tonight – Princess Beatrice, in London again despite holding down a full-time job in New York, was present with her sister, Princess Eugenie. 

Beatrice, 27, wore a full midi-skirt in steel grey with a structured leather-detailed top while Eugenie, 26, wore a white short-sleeved shift dress with embroidered detailing paired with chunky-heeled nude and metallic sandals.

They were accompanying their father, Prince Andrew, seen in public for the first time since the Daily Mail's recent investigation into his alleged business dealings in Kazakhstan and the controversial sale of his former home to a Kazakh tycoon.

Also present was the Countess of Wessex, who matched the blooms in a bright floral-print dress by Alexander McQueen, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra.

Princess Beatrice enters into the spirit with a bouquet full of blooms

Beatrice peered closely at a display while Eugenie was more interested in her lilac poesy

Beatrice was wide-eyed at the amount of beautiful blooms on display

Beatrice grinned for the camera while holding a crocodile-print clutch

Prince Andrew, left, and his daughter Eugenie and Beatrice visit the stand of Adrian Gray who is stone balancing

Princess Anne wore a camel cape and oatmeal midi skirt, wore with deep crimson lipstick

Princess Anne held crimson and pale-pink roses while walking through a serene garden

Sophie, Countess of Wessex wore a floral design Alexander McQueen dress in pink and scarlet shades

Sophie admired red-tipped roses in similar style to the design on her bloom-covered dress

The countess bent down to look up close at the knitted display which has taken more than three years to create

Sophie looks out across the display which is in memory of veterans 

Princess Michael of Kent, left, wore a pale-pink blazer over a cream midi-dress with pleat detailing at the hem, while Princess Alexandra wore a nude poloneck and a blue long-line jacket

Finally the Royal party will attend a private reception at the newly named Queen Elizabeth II Pavilion.

Kate wore her striking Catherine Walker dress first back in 2014 during a royal tour of New Zealand and Australia. 

Back in Australia's capital, the Duchess wore the vivid green tailored look when helping to plant an English oak tree at the National Arboretum.

She previously wore the British label for her arrival in Wellington, New Zealand. 

Established in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has become one of the world's greatest showcases for horticultural excellence, attracting visitors and exhibitors from across the globe.

Since its beginning, the show has gone from strength to strength: it has grown from 244 exhibitors in 1913 to over 500 today, including gardens, nurseries, floristry, educational displays and trade stands.

Today the show attracts 165,000 visitors.

The Queen's landmark birthday is a key theme this year – including a three metre high, two and a half tonne tribute in the shape of the Queen's head featuring 10,000 colourful flowers.

The tiered tribute includes roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, arum lilies, hyacinths, freesias, gerberas, gladioli, clematis and sweet peas and marks the debut show of New Covent Garden Flower Market.

Its designer Ming Veevers Carter said: 'I've been coming to New Covent Garden Flower Market for many years and know first-hand how integral the market and its traders are to London's florists.'

The tribute, which took a team of 35 people six months to create, has a prominent site at the show in the Great Pavilion just off Main Avenue.