The Queen’s Green Canopy: Ancient Woodlands and Trees

The Queen’s Green Canopy is a stunning photography book showcasing 70 ancient trees and 70 ancient woodlands dedicated by the QGC initiative in honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. These photographs were taken over the course of a year by Adrian Houston (author of A Portrait of the Tree) and Charles Sainsbury-Plaice to celebrate the work of the initiative. The Queen’s Green Canopy features their photographs alongside extended captions telling the stories behind these historic trees. Selected trees include the apple tree that is said to have inspired Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity; yews at the entrance of St Edwards Church in Stow-on-the-Wold, which inspired JRR Tolkien; the Five Hundred Acre Wood in East Sussex immortalised in AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books; and the 2,500-year-old tree where Henry VIII is believed to have proposed to Anne Boleyn. While these trees tell a wider story of Britain’s history, the photographs also form a beautiful visual diary showing how the nation’s landscape changes dramatically through the seasons. Alongside these photographs are short written pieces by selected supporters of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. Contributers range from presenters such as Alan Titchmarsh, Adam Henson and Danny Clarke to conservation experts from the Woodland Trust and the Duchy of Cornwall, as well as beloved national treasures such as Dame Judi Dench, Dame Joanna Lumley and Archbishop Justin Welby. In these pieces they reflect on the trees that have made a mark on their lives and the importance of protecting Britain’s woodlands for future generations. With plans to continue planting trees until March 2023, the Queen’s Green Canopy is seeding a living legacy across the nation and has planted more than a million trees in Her Majesty’s memory. Through incredible imagery and joyful pieces of writing, The Queen’s Green Canopy will celebrate Her Majesty’s extraordinary life and the amazing legacy she leaves behind.