Royal visit marks 10th anniversary of Exbury Gardens Railway

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall continued a Royal tradition of visiting Exbury Gardens in the New Forest on Thursday 26th May. The couple met staff and Rothschild family members, planted trees and unveiled a plaque to mark the 10th anniversary of the Garden’s steam railway.

His Royal Highness donned an Exbury railwayman’s cap to ride the footplate of the train where he tried his hand at driving the engine, Mariloo, which had been named by his mother, Her Majesty The Queen, almost three years ago.
They were escorted by Mr Leopold de Rothschild at whose instigation the Exbury Garden Railway was built.
Members of the public visiting Exbury stopped to watch as the Royal couple each planted an ornamental ash tree (Fraxinus Ornus) on the main lawn. They met civic dignitaries who were introduced by Dame Mary Fagan, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire and were introduced to Head Gardener, John Anderson, and his deputy, Linda Runnacles, and two volunteers, Gill Mordant and David Hunter.

The Duchess of Cornwall seemed delighted to receive a posy of flowers from three-year-olds, Sorrel Anderson and Henrietta Reynolds, while children from Fawley Nursery School looked on.
At Exbury Central Station they met more Exbury staff, including Commercial Manager Nigel Philpott and Railway Foreman Ian Wilson, and chatted to railway drivers and guards, including 17 year old Alex Clements, believed to be the youngest qualified steam engine driver in the country. They also presented certificates to Jim Langford, Douggie Betteridge and David Shelley who, between them, have clocked up more than 160 years service at the Rothschild-owned Gardens.

Children from Blackfield Primary School joined the train, which was decorated with union flags and bore a sequence of four lamps – the Royal Code - on the front of the engine, which signified that Royalty was aboard.
The visit ended with a private tour of the Gardens.

Mr Leopold de Rothschild said he was delighted to welcome The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
“We are especially pleased that they came to help us celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Garden Railway,” he said. “Her Majesty the Queen named our latest locomotive, Mariloo and she enjoyed a ride on the railway on two occasions. I am glad that both of Their Royal Highnesses were able to travel on Mariloo as well.”