A TREE planted to celebrate the King’s Coronation is now setting down roots in a Dudley borough park which has historical links to the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Royal Oak tree is one of a number of coronation trees being planted in regions across the country to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III last year.
The West Midlands tree has been planted in Sedgley's Coronation Gardens, which first opened in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of the late monarch.
The tree was planted on Tuesday (February 27) by the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Sir John Crabtree OBE, and the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Andrea Goddard.
Sir John Crabtree OBE, Lord-Lieutenant for the West Midlands, said: “It was a challenge to select just one location for a very special tree, but the Coronation Gardens seemed such an appropriate choice and it was a great privilege to follow the original opening in 1953 marking the Coronation of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
The tree has been funded by the Queen’s Green Canopy - a nationwide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.
Councillor Andrea Goddard, Mayor of Dudley, said: “It’s an honour that Dudley borough has been chosen as the location for the region’s coronation tree.
“I was delighted to join the Lord-Lieutenant as we planted the tree in the historic gardens and bolstered its royal connections.”
Compost made from floral tributes, laid by residents across the borough in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her passing, was placed in the ground where the tree was planted.
Councillor Damian Corfield, Dudley’s cabinet member for highways and environmental services, added: “The tree will take pride of place in the park and be a lasting tribute to His Majesty the King for generations to come.”
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