ROSE FOR A ROYAL BIRTH
A rose to celebrate a Royal birth.
A prominent Manawatu and New Zealander rose breeder and enthusiast, John Ford, has announced a new rose to mark the
birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first born baby.
The rose will be called Markle Sparkle and will receive PVR (plant variety rights) which trademark the plant. It is undergoing final trials in John Ford’s
Palmerston North garden.
Details about the colour, habit, fragrance and type of rose will be released shortly and the rose will be available in
2021. John intends it to be sold commercially in New Zealand, England and potentially California, the former home of the
Duchess, Meghan Markle.
Contact has been made with Kensington Palace to inform the Royal family and John is hopeful his connections in England
will be able to present a rose bush to the Duke and Duchess and baby Archie. They now live in Frogmore House which is
surrounded by gardens.
President Emeritus of the New Zealand Rose Society, Peter Elliott, is excited about the new release. Peter, who’s also a
Life Member of the Manawatu Rose Society and a former Council member of the World Federation of Rose Societies, predicts
the rose “will have wide appeal following on from the great success of the Royal Tour last year.”
The idea to propagate the rose followed a discussion between John, Peter and publicist, Malcolm Hopwood, who believed
the rose would be an appropriate and original gesture alongside the thousands of gifts bestowed on the Royal family and
their baby.