Alan Titchmarsh shares pelargonium he received from Elton John

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Tonight, Alan Titchmarsh will host a Platinum Jubilee celebration at Windsor Castle as part of the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show. The former Gardeners’ World presenter will join forces with Tom Cruise, Damian Lewis and Adjoa Andoh, a star of Bridgerton, for a theatrical arena show telling a story spanning the years from Elizabeth I to the coronation of Elizabeth II. ‘A gallop through history’ will incorporate 1,300 performers and 500 horses, and features an eclectic line-up of celebrities, ranging from Ant and Dec to Dame Joan Collins. 

The show is made up of four acts, with Cruise hosting the first act, Lewis hosting the second, the third by Andoh and Titchmarsh the last. 

The Queen is known to have a soft spot for gardening, so it should come as no surprise that the monarch is a fan of the TV gardening legend. 

Alan has met Her Majesty on a number of occasions, including to collect his MBE, for services to horticulture and broadcasting, in 2000.

And it appears that the feelings are reciprocated as Alan once became enraged over the BBC’s coverage of the Queen and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. 

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In an interview with Radio Times soon after the Jubilee, the presenter was asked what made him blush. 

He replied: “I haven’t blushed for a long time.

“Sometimes I get angry.

“I got very angry during the Diamond Jubilee coverage when the Queen was wrongly called ‘Her Royal Highness’ and presenters were vague on facts.

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“One said the Queen has outlasted 12 prime ministers and ‘at least’ six American presidents.

“We all make mistakes but when somebody obviously hasn’t done their homework, that gets me a bit rattled.”

The BBC attracted 2,425 complaints for the coverage, with viewers criticising the trivial nature of the broadcast and pointing out the same rookie mistakes as Alan, such as referring to the Queen as “HRH” instead of “Her Majesty”. 

Alan was not the only critic of the coverage, at the time, Stephen Fry, another regular BBC face, tweeted: “Has the BBC ever presented a more mind-numbingly tedious programme in its history? This is eggier and cheesier than a collapsed soufflé.”

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Ten years later, Alan will be able to put his own stamp on the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, which have kicked off this week. 

In the daytime, the equestrian world gathers for the UK’s largest outdoor horse show featuring show jumping, carriage driving and endurance events. 

And each evening, in the same arena, Alan and the star-studded line-up will take watchers on ‘a gallop through history’.  

The pageant will raise money for charities including those supporting the NHS and key workers.

Her Majesty has attended the Royal Horse Show almost every year, and is expected to attend this year if she feels well enough. 

In recent months, the Queen has taken a step back from in-person royal obligations due to ongoing health concerns and mobility issues. 

On Tuesday, she pulled out of the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in nearly 60 years. 

In the case of her attendance, Sunday’s performance of ‘a gallop through history’ will be done before the monarch. 

It will also be broadcast live on ITV. 

Next month, much like Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, the nation will toast to the remarkable achievement with a spectacular four-day celebration. 

From Thursday to Sunday of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday, Brits can expect an array of different events to celebrate the Queen’s impressive seven-decade milestone.

Events include the Queen’s birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral at the Royal Derby at Epsom Downs. 

It is not yet known what events the Queen will attend, but it is expected that she will limit her appearances to the Buckingham Palace balcony scene during Trooping the Colour, and the service at St Paul’s.

The Palace has said that the Queen’s attendance will be confirmed on the day of each event.

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