The Queen has arrived at the Chelsea Flower Show alongside members of her family, using a buggy for comfort as she tours the grounds in one of the key events of the royal calendar.

       The monarch, who was said to have been "hoping" to visit the show all along but only confirmed her attendance on Monday afternoon, delighted guests with a surprise appearance - after fears she may miss it due to reduced mobility.

       Wearing vivid pink, she looked the picture of happiness as she set off to view 10 gardens - transported around the vast site by buggy, driven by a chauffeur in a smart hat.

       A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Adjustments have been made for the Queen’s comfort.”

       It is the first time in nearly a decade that the monarch is believed to have used a buggy at an official engagement.

       The Queen was seen in a golf buggy nine years ago during the Coronation Festival in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

       She also used one during a tour to Australia in 2011, when she visited Government House in Canberra.

       Joe Little, of Majesty magazine, said: “It’s an extremely practical arrangement that will allow the Queen to take part in as many engagements as she is able to do.”

       Members of the Royal family visited the show a day ahead of its official opening on Tuesday, allowing them to view the exhibitions in relative privacy.

       The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Beatrice, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra also attended, in a show of support for the Royal Horticultural Society as it bounces back from the Covid-19 lockdown.

       The Queen has been the Royal Horticultural Society’s royal patron since 1952 and was a regular visitor to the garden show with her parents as a child. She has attended more than 50 times during her 70-year reign.

       Despite suffering “episodic“ mobility problems which led her to withdraw from the State Opening of Parliament this month, the Queen has recently been in good enough health to attend a handful of key events.

       Last week, she made a surprise appearance to officially open the new Elizabeth Line at Paddington station, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy herself at the Royal Windsor Horse Show Jubilee pageant.

       Her appearance will boost hopes she will be able to join festivities for the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

       The monarch will also visit The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Garden, which will feature laser-cut steel silhouettes of the monarch, surrounded by 70 planted terracotta pots, representing each year of her reign.

       The RAF Benevolent Fund Garden will hark back to the Battle of Britain in celebration of the support the charity has provided to RAF personnel, veterans and their families for over 100 years.

       The Royal family will also be shown The Mind Garden, which provides a colourful place for people to connect and open up. It will later be transported to a local Mind organisation, providing eco-therapy for those with mental health problems.

       The Chelsea Flower Show has returned to its customary May dates for the first time since the pandemic. The Queen has only recently made concessions to her age in public, now regularly using a walking stick for her comfort.