King Charles has delivered a cheeky warning to 30-year-old horticulturist Jamie Butterworth at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
The rising Gardeners' World star, whose nursery provides plants to Windsor Castle, found himself unexpectedly face-to-face with his royal client during the prestigious event.
Mr Butterworth's gardening prowess has seen him win a gold medal at the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show and regular appearances on the BBC's Gardeners' World alongside his idol, Monty Don.
However, the young horticulturalist recently revealed he came unstuck when the monarch, his most prestigious client, admonished him over punctuality.
Gardeners World star Jamie Butterworth, was issued a cheeky warning by King Charles at the Chelsea Flower Show this year
|The encounter occurred when broadcaster Jo Whiley introduced Mr Butterworth to King Charles whilst he stood beside Monty Don.
To his shock, the King already knew his name.
"Jo introduced me as I was standing next to Monty, and the King said, 'I know Jamie - you are delivering plants to me on Wednesday,'" the gardener began.
"'Please don't be late,'" recalled while speaking with The Times.
The King warned Butterworth 'don't be late' with his flower deliveries
|GETTY
The monarch's familiarity with Mr Butterworth stemmed from the young gardener's nursery being a regular supplier to Windsor Castle, though this marked their first formal introduction.
The King, renowned for his own horticultural passion, demonstrated his hands-on approach to palace gardening operations.
However, his gardening instincts recently caused some consternation, apparently leading to a walk-out of workers at his High Grove home.
Of 12 full-time gardeners employed in 2022, 11 have departed, including two heads of gardens and a deputy head gardener who left within a year, The Sunday Times reported.
King Charles has long been a passionate horticulturalist
|GETTY
The exodus included one staffer who had served the King for decades. Another failed his probation after revealing insufficient knowledge about a particular flower, reportedly losing Charles's trust.
"Don't put that man in front of me again," the monarch is believed to have said of the worker.
Staff complaints also cited pay as low as minimum wage, with sources claiming that in March 2022, three gardeners earned £8.91 per hour, the minimum wage, while two were on £9.50.
One staffer launched a grievance in late 2023, stating the team was "overwhelmed, under-resourced and constantly struggling to fulfil the King's requests".
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
The monarch's exacting standards for his gardens has recently caused consternation at Highgrove
|GETTY
Charles is thought to maintain control in his gardens through morning walkabouts where he issues instructions to be written up and acted upon before his next return.
He is also said to send detailed notes in "thick red ink" to garden staff, with memos that are "strikingly specific and emotional."
These include demands to move "a single, unacceptable ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool" and complaints that staff's failure to cultivate his beloved delphiniums had caused "an almighty disappointment and spoilt one of his favourite moments of the summer."