His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen mark the Eden Project’s 25th birthday by launching UK-wide celebration of community

The visit saw Their Majesties enjoy a walk around Eden to learn more about our impact over the past quarter century – including £6.8 billion economic impact to the south west economy, and our work in community cohesion, education, nature recovery and globally important horticulture.

Attending the first Big Lunch in 2026, Their Majesties took the opportunity to meet volunteers, funders and philanthropists involved with The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, the Eden Project’s campaign to encourage community action.

Their Majesties, who last visited the Eden Project together in 2021 as part of the G7 Summit, were welcomed to Cornwall’s iconic gardens by a choir of children from Luxulyan School. Accompanied by Sir Tim Smit KBE, co-founder of the Eden Project, Andy Jasper, Eden Project CEO, Peter Stewart LVO, Eden Project Director Emeritus, and Erica Neve, Eden Project Trustee, Their Majesties proceeded to our newest exhibit, the Giant Marble Runs.

The new installation, featuring over 100 metres of interactive track spread across eight unique runs, invites people of all ages to get out and play in nature. Their Majesties met Simon Jackman, who designed the Marble Runs, and has made over 10,000 marbles for Eden, including some from trees felled by the devastating storms that hit Cornwall in January.

Their Majesties were handed marbles made from a storm felled ash tree from the Duchy Estate to launch down a marble run, helped by local school children who were there to catch the marbles after spinning down the track to its end. As well as nature-based play, the exhibit also delivers the charity’s nature recovery work, with proceeds from the marble run set to support restoration tree planting across Cornwall after opening in late March.

Their Majesties also met the expert teams behind our gardens, and integrated human and nature health recovery work. As well as meeting the people behind Anthropy, the national gathering of leaders hosted at Eden Project in the coming days where The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out will be proposed to forward-thinking businesses encouraging them to adopt the idea.

Topping off the visit was a celebratory Big Lunch held in the Mediterranean Biome, with around 80 guests invited to enjoy a bite to eat and get to know each other better among the Biome’s brightly coloured flowers, olive trees and fragrant herb plants.

Their Majesties met volunteers from charities across the South West including Guide Dogs, Royal Voluntary Service, NSPCC and St Petrocs who all give up their time to help locally and are making plans to support the community celebrations this June.

As Royal Patron of The Big Lunch since 2013, HM The Queen met leaders from the Pears Foundation and Co-op, who are all helping to make the events possible this June. Their Majesties also found out more about this year’s collaboration with The Big Help Out which launched on their Coronation weekend in 2023, and calls on people across the UK to take action where they live – from organising a bite to eat with the neighbours to holding a litter pick or spending the day lending a hand at a local charity.

Demonstrating the breadth of ways to make a difference, guests took the time to start their planning and preparations for the weekend. Clean Cornwall are planning ‘Litter Pick and Lunch’ events across the county and Their Majesties chatted to a local group of crafters who host ‘crafternoons’ where people come together to chat and make things together, including some crocheted food items and bunting perfect for a Big Lunch.

The Big Lunch closed with Their Majesties cutting a spectacular cake depicting a street scene, complete with a Big Lunch and volunteering activities ranging from litter picking to tending to a community garden. In a tender nod to the late Her Majesty The Queen’s visit to the Eden Project in 2021, Their Majesties cut the cake using the sword of Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.

Peter Stewart LVO, Eden Project Director Emeritus responsible for The Big Lunch, said: “As we mark 25 years since the pioneering charity Eden Project opened its doors – this visit from Their Majesties is truly the icing on the cake in a year set to be full of celebrations. It was an honour to share the impact of Eden’s work over the past quarter century with them and to look ahead to the charity’s future with the launch of The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, which we hope will encourage the whole nation to get in the party spirit by taking action and making a positive difference where they live this year on 5-8 June!”