Local MP Nigel Farage has invited His Majesty the King to visit St Osyth Priory and plant a new oak tree, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I.

The historic St Osyth Priory was visited twice by Queen Elizabeth I during her Royal Progress, in 1561 and then again in 1579. During her first stay, she planted a magnificent evergreen oak within the Priory’s walls. That tree stood for over four centuries until 1999, when it was lost in a storm. Last week, Nigel Farage went to visit the Priory and met with its Managing Director William Grinsted to take a look for himself.

Since 1999, the Sargeant family has led one of the largest heritage restoration projects in Essex, rescuing the Priory and its wider estate from decline. The Priory is now fully operational and open to the community.

A visit by the King would be an opportunity for him to view the restoration of the St Osyth Priory, meet the local community, and to ceremonially plant an oak which would connect the Elizabethan past with the present and future generations to come.

Local MP Nigel Farage said:

“The St Osyth Priory is a historic gem in the Clacton constituency with a fantastic story. I am inviting His Majesty the King to visit the priory, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I, and plant a replacement tree almost 500 years later.

“I recently visited the Priory and I was impressed by how they have taken on a really old place and yet modernise it at the same time. It really would be a wonderful thing to see a modern-day Royal Visit to the priory, so I hope the King is able to accept this invitation.”