Duchess of Beaufort marks silver anniversary

The Duchess, a gardener herself, commented on the commemoration: “The Duke and all of his family are delighted that a copse of 25 trees has been planted on Badminton Estate to mark the 25 years of partnership with Mitsubishi Motors. Badminton Estate is home to many hectares of woodland, thousands of trees, and so it is a fitting way to mark this special anniversary.”

Speaking at the unveiling Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s Managing Director, said: “To reach the milestone of 25 years in any partnership is a great achievement and to do it in the sporting arena is truly remarkable. Badminton has become completely ingrained in what we do, the partnership has grown way beyond a simple sponsorship. We wanted to do something special to mark our first 25 years with Badminton that would be an enduring reminder of the partnership. Planting these trees on such a beautiful estate seemed perfect. Unveiling the plaque is very special because it is something that is going to be there forever.”

Hugh Thomas, Director of Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, added: “A plantation of 25 young trees will take a long time to mature but it will be a fitting memory of Mitsubishi’s first 25 years with us and it will last for a very long time.”