King and Queen ‘just fine’ to walk barefoot on embassy’s eco-friendly lawn

The King and Queen going barefoot on the lawn of the British embassy in Washington during their state visit would be “just fine”, the head gardener has said as it is pesticide free.

John Sonnier said the extensive grounds of the official residence in the US capital are run along the same sustainable and organic principles as nature-loving Charles’s private country home Highgrove, in Gloucestershire.

The British embassy in Washington highlighted the gardens in a short video posted on social media ahead of Charles and Camilla’s trip to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Speaking on Earth Day, an event to highlight environmental protection, Mr Sonnier said: “We maintain our gardens every day of the year as if the King is going to be here the next day.”

He joked: “We prepare for important dignitaries every day of the year so I guess my biggest concern about the state visit is all the people in my garden.”

He added: “I think it will be lovely.

“I think the one thing that we do that’s very similar to what they do at Highgrove is that we are a sustainable garden, pesticide free, completely organic.

“We really try and live in the spirit of what we say.

“So I think the King and the Queen will be pleasantly surprised that if they wanted to go barefoot on the lawn it would be just fine.”

Details of the full itinerary for the state visit have not yet been released, so it remains to be seen if the royal couple will get the chance to visit the garden.

During their four-day stay, the couple are due to meet US President Donald Trump and be the guests of honour at a White House banquet.

Charles has also been invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress.

The visit will be even more closely watched than usual coming against the backdrop of transatlantic tensions over the Iran conflict, which had led to calls for the event to be called off.

The strained relations have seen Mr Trump direct a series of barbed comments at the UK, including derogatory comments about His Majesty’s Royal Navy.

However, the president has previously hailed the visit as a “momentous occasion” and said he was looking forward to spending time with the King, whom he “greatly respects”.

The ongoing scandal over the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has also threatened to cast a shadow over the trip, given former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with the late sex offender.