Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attended the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show on Monday, being held for the first time since its coronavirus hiatus.

The 96-year-old monarch, who has cut back on her public appearances due to difficulties walking, was seen for the first time using a chauffeur-driven buggy to get around.

She toured the manicured grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – a retirement home for army veterans – with Keith Weed, the president of organizers: the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Some 140,000 people are expected to attend the west London show from Tuesday until Sunday, with several creations designed to pay tribute to her record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

One is a new rose, "Rosa Elizabeth," which is in line for a prize, while another is a huge purple steel structure of her profile, with foliage, 70 pots of her favorite flower lily of the valley and rosemary.

Climate change

The future of the planet, a return to more natural gardens and well-being are recurring themes at this year's exhibition, which has been organized by the RHS for more than 100 years.

One of the 39 spectacular gardens created for the occasion is a huge 15-ton block of ice made from rainwater, surrounded by trees and plants.

It will melt slowly over the next few days.

"We're remembering the melting and thawing of the permafrost within the Arctic regions," its creator John Warland told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

But he said there is still a positive message despite the "doom and gloom" of climate change.

"Ten years ago, scientists went down into the ice and they found seeds ... that were 32,000 years old that were actually viable and that they were able to germinate," he added.

"So although climate change is bad, possibly locked deep within the ice could be the secret and key to the onward survival of mankind."

Another garden that stands out has a rustic hut surrounded by wildflowers and a small stream blocked by a beaver dam.

"Beaver wetlands are absolutely incredible," said Sara King, head of the rewilding network at Rewilding Britain.

"To bring a slice of that here ... for people to experience and hear the soundscape is really incredible," she said.