‘Tree of Trees’ for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: 70ft living sculpture made from 350 British native species to stand outside Buckingham Palace as a centrepiece for London’s historic celebrations

• 70ft tall sculpture suspending 350 potted British native trees is to be erected for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
• The ‘Tree of Trees’ will stand outside Buckingham Palace and form the centrepiece of the June celebrations
• British designer Thomas Heatherwick said his sculpture marks the planting of over one million Jubilee trees
• Mr Heatherwick famously designed the cauldron that was lit at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony
• Jousting, an Elton John concert and a Red Arrow display are among the many celebratory events planned 

A huge sculpture made up of 350 British native trees is to be erected outside Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee.

An artist’s impression shows how the 70ft structure, made up of small trees in aluminium pots ‘sprouting’ from timber-plank branches, will tower over the palace gates during the four-day bank holiday weekend in June.

It will form a centrepiece of celebrations at the palace, which will include a live pop concert to be held in front of 10,000 people.

The sculpture was announced on Friday which is Earth Day, with the Prince of Wales also marking the occasion with an environmental project for children.

The ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture, created by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, reflects the planting of more than a million Jubilee trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC).

The ‘Tree of Trees’, a 70ft structure made of 350 potted British native plants, is to be erected outside Buckingham Palace and act as the centrepiece of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 

Royal tree-planting has long been a staple duty for the Windsors, with the Queen estimated to have planted more than 1,500 trees across the world during official state visits

Celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will include the Red Arrows performing overhead at RAF Cosford, jousting at Hampton Court Palace and Sir Elton John performing at a special concert at Buckingham Palace

The initiative, which spans two official tree-planting seasons, has already seen thousands of people planting Jubilee saplings across the UK to create a canopy of green in tribute to the monarch’s 70 years of service to the nation.

The trees that make up the sculpture will be gifted to community groups and organisations at the start of the next planting season in October.

Royal tree-planting has long been a staple duty for the Windsors and is usually used to commemorate official visits.

During her reign, the Queen has planted more than 1,500 trees across the world.

Mr Heatherwick, whose past designs include London’s Coal Drops Yard and office buildings for Google, said it was an ‘honour’ to work on the project.

He said: ‘The structure, created from 350 British native trees and recycled steel, is coming together from workshops and nurseries across the country as one part of an incredible community campaign that’s literally changing the landscape of our nation.’

The ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture was announced on Friday, which is Earth Day. Prince Charles marked the occasion by challenging children to draw, paint or write about keeping the planet healthy

Huge events are taking place across the country to celebrate the Queen ‘s 70-year reign

The sculpture is partly made from old surplus steel and materials are being sourced from UK suppliers to minimise transportation, energy use and waste.

The Prince of Wales marked Earth Day by challenging children to draw or write about keeping the planet healthy.

In a video message released by the Prince’s Foundation, Charles said: ‘Take out a blank piece of paper and draw, paint or write about the future you would like to see, one that puts nature at the heart of everything we do.

‘That way we can share our ideas with as many people as possible.

‘And together we can help make our planet strong and healthy for generations to come.’

The prince’s words are from the foreword he wrote for It’s Up To Us, a book for children explaining the Terra Carta, a roadmap to sustainability.

The ‘Tree of Trees’ will be the epicentre around which celebrations agglomerate – with huge events programmed to take place all around the country for the Queen’s 70-year reign.

The Red Arrows will fly overhead at RAF Cosford, jousting will be hosted at Hampton Court Palace and Sir Elton John is to play at a special concert at Buckingham Palace. 

Meanwhile, a 70-kilometre ‘ultra challenge’ is taking place for runners wanting to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in a unique way and a 70-mile classic car run in Cornwall, featuring a car from every year of the Queen’s reign, is also pencilled in among a wide variety of events.

Who is ‘Tree of Trees’ designer Thomas Heatherwick?

The ‘Tree of Trees’ – a 70ft structure made of aluminium and timber and dotted with 350 potted plants – has the honour of being at the very epicentre of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

Thomas Heatherwick, the creator of the gargantuan structure, is a 52-year-old British designer based at a studio in King’s Cross, London.

Viewers of the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony will have seen his work before: he was the mind behind the 204-piece copper cauldron, which was lit by seven torchbearers. 

After the fanfare had finished, the 204 copper petals that made up Mr Heatherwick’s fiery cauldron were sent to each of the competing nations as a memento of the event.

The designer also directed the UK pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010, using 60,000 acrylic rods to house 250,000 plant seeds – a reference to the scramble to preserve biodiversity by storing seeds from plants around the world in banks. 

 In Littlehampton, West Sussex, the East Beach Café bears the grandiose designer’s fingerprints also.

The café, completed in 2005, is housed inside a large steel structure, which was purposefully allowed to rust before the colours the oxides created were fixed with a transparent oil.

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