Gardeners in Hampstead Garden Suburb have been given the royal treatment with a special visit from Prince Edward.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, visited the gardens of three Suburb residents this morning in his role as patron of the London Gardens Society.

His visit followed an appearance on Saturday from TV chat show host Jonathan Ross, who opened the Suburb Horticultural Society’s 275th summer flower show.

Today, Prince Edward began his tour of the Suburb at the Erskine Hill home of London Gardens Society member Marjorie Harris, who showed him around her garden and introduced him to guests.

The prince, who took on patronage of the society from his late grandmother the Queen Mother, then walked to the home of Diane Berger, another society member, in Willifield Way to admire her award-winning garden.

He concluded his visit with a look at Yvonne Oliver’s garden, in Asmuns Way, before getting into a Land Rover Discovery and driving to Muswell Hill – accompanied by a police escort – where he toured the garden of Alan Dallman, chairman of Highgate Horticultural Society.

Reflecting on her meeting with the prince, Mrs Oliver, 69, said: “It was a lovely honour, he was so friendly and easy to talk to.

“He was very interested in the trees and how many big trees there were in small gardens in the Suburb.”