St James’s Park – Plants, Pelicans and Processions (Online)

Speaker: Our original speaker Mark Wasilewski is currently indisposed so we have a change of speaker. We are very lucky that we will now have a panel led by Wesley Kerr OBE, supported by Arwyn Davies and Mike Turner.

An insight into the history, landscape and iconic events within the ceremonial setting of St James’s Park.

St James’s Park is one of Europe’s busiest parks attracting some 17 million visitors per year. The Park is bordered by the Mall and Horse Guards Parade, both scenes of annual ceremonial events such as State Visits, State Opening of Parliament, and the monarch’s Birthday Parade. It regularly hosts a wide range of participation events such as the finish of the London Marathon and became the venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for several sporting events. Half a million people are estimated to have visited St James’s Park on the day of the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011, with similar numbers for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 2012 and the Platinum Jubilee weekend in 2022. More recently St James’s Park has been the focus of world attention during the Funeral Procession of Her Late Majesty The Queen, and for the Coronation of King Charles III. The Park is known for its displays of spring bulbs, the floriferous borders and landscape styled by John Nash, and intricate summer bedding schemes. The lake is home to many species of waterfowl and has been a home to pelicans since 1664.

Wesley Kerr OBE is a broadcaster, journalist, historian and horticulturist. He is the longest serving Board Member and Trustee of London’s magnificent Royal Parks, a Council Member of the Royal Horticultural Society, and Vice President of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. For seven years, he chaired the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Committee for London, with expertise in restoring and regenerating historic places. Wesley was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2015 for services to heritage. He is a frequent contributor to royal documentaries and discussions on national and international television channels. He has written for numerous magazines including royal features, and gives talks on history, heritage and horticulture. He curated a number of exhibitions of work by the British Jamaican artist Rudi Patterson.

Arwyn Davies is the Ceremonial Operations Manager for The Royal Parks. With 10 years’ experience in the events industry, he has been involved in a wide range of events and ceremonies including Remembrance Sunday, the Festival of Remembrance, and D-Day 75. Arwyn joined the Royal Parks in 2021 and has since been the planning and operational lead for some of recent histories’ most significant ceremonies including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, and the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Photo: The State Funeral procession for Her Majesty The Queen - Mark Wasilewski