Now, as Charles continues his royal duties following his 2024 cancer diagnosis, the estate’s rescue hens, orchards and gardens are said to have assumed an even more personal significance.
A royal source claimed to Radar: “The King has always believed strongly in the healing power of nature, but that belief has become more meaningful during his cancer journey. He genuinely feels that being among the gardens, the trees and his chickens has the power to help him heal.
“The hens might make people smile, but for him there is something deeply calming and restorative about caring for them.”
During the warmer months, Highgrove’s rescue hens are allowed out from their section of the gardens to wander through the orchards, where visitors can see them scratching and pecking around the estate.
Scott Simpson, retail director for The King’s Foundation, which acts as custodian of Highgrove, said about the birds: “They’re central to Highgrove life, and it’s always lovely to see them happily roaming around, pecking away.”
Simpson added that Charles’ approach at Highgrove is “all about living with nature and nature’s creatures.”