The Royal Parks in photos - April
We look back at April through some of our favourite photos, past and present.
As you might expect, plants and trees took centre stage last month; new shoots reached up from the ground towards the sun, branches were heavy with blossom and everywhere you looked explosions of colour caught the eye. We hope you enjoyed the highlights of April as much as we did.
“I was blessed with the emergence of a black swan from the golden mist at sunrise one morning. It was just me and them, and then a couple other people stopped off, and we all watched the black and white swans preening and chasing around after each other in the smaller Pen Pond. He left the next day, so we were just in exactly the right place at the right time, in glorious conditions and sunrise.” - Lesley Marshall, photographer
Around the parks
We gathered with local families to plant trees in celebration of the opening of the renewed, nature-friendly Petersham Playground in Richmond Park. Designed to inspire children to connect with the natural world, the renovated playground features touches like wildlife sculptures, bird boxes and bug hotels, as well as new equipment made from natural materials.
On 14 April we ran a selection of play activities and invited feedback on the interpretation and refurbishment plans for the popular Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground. The Peter Pan-inspired playground has welcomed children for 25 years, and now a new generation have the opportunity to help shape its future. The work on the playground is expected to be completed in spring 2026.
We welcomed The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers to Bushy Park to plant the last of ten trees they had recently donated. The new fruit trees have been planted in the Woodland Gardens, near the Pheasantry Café and feature multiple species including the Medlar ‘Nottingham’, Apricot ‘Flavorcot’, Quince ‘Champion’, Pear ‘Jargonelle’, and the Apple ‘Flower of Kent’ - which is also known as ‘Newton’s Apple’ after Isaac Newton.
A look back in time
Swedish pop group ABBA pose amongst the daffodils in Hyde Park in April 1974. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, ABBA's songwriting duo, would perform at a concert in Hyde Park in 2009 celebrating the band. Hyde Park is definitely the Royal Park for popular music - BST Hyde Park returns for its thirteenth year with a stellar lineup this summer.
The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip inspect the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, at a special royal review to mark its jubilee in The Regent's Park, April 2017.
The Regent's Park is the home for a new two-acre garden to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II, expected to open in 2026.
Londoner's taking in the first signs of spring on the grass in St. James's Park, around six months after the end of the Second World War in April 1946. With its location next to Buckingham Palace the park is a popular destination year round, and in known in spring for its stunning cherry blossom.
A group of children cooling off with drinks in the sandpit of Victoria Tower Gardens, April 1933. The Royal Parks boast some of the best playgrounds in London, with the Diana Memorial Playground alone welcoming over one million visitors each year.
Do you have a photo of one of the Royal Parks that you’d like to include next month? Or an old family snap from decades past? Please get in touch on digitalcomms@royalparks.org.uk, we’d love to hear from you.
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