Rose Royal Jubilee

‘Royal Jubilee’ is one of the more stately pink English shrub roses with deep, incurving chalices, poised on slender stems, with a fruity perfume that often carries the dark sweetness of blackcurrant. Introduced in 2012, it was named to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, and it has retained a special place among modern pink Austins for its combination of elegance, repeat flowering, and relatively lightly armed growth. This rose quickly forms large shrubs bearing rich pink blooms with paler petal reverses and covered with faintly bluish or grey-green foliage, suggesting Alba ancestry. This rise flowers almost continuously and fits the mixed border, hedge, or rose beds with equal ease.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

What distinguishes ‘Royal Jubilee’ within the pink English shrubs is not merely colour, but manner. The flowers are deep, incurved, chalice-shaped, globular, or peony-like; the petals turn in over the center so that the centre remains partly concealed. This gives the cultivar an unusual inward tension. Many Austin roses display broad rosettes or quartering; ‘Royal Jubilee’ instead achieves its effect through depth, curvature, and shadow. The inner surface of the flower has deep, rich pink to pink-magenta colour while the reverse is paler, so the moving bloom creates tonal shifts that are especially noticeable under oblique light or against subdued foliage. The thin and slender stems contribute much to the plant’s grace, lifting the flowers with a less congested, more nodding effect.

Although the precise seed and pollen parentage were not disclosed officially, the Alba connection is visible through rose’s softer foliage tone, its relatively few prickles, and the slightly historical cast of the whole shrub. ‘Royal Jubilee’ is therefore best considered as a modern Austin shrub with old-rose and especially Alba-like overtones.

It repeats flowering well, suits mixed planting, can be used in groups or as a hedge, and remains valued for fragrance. At the same time, it has enough individuality to interest collectors who already grow many English roses: few prickles, slightly glaucous foliage, and those deep chalices with inward-curving petals set it apart from broader, flatter, or more rosette-centered pink cultivars. For gardeners seeking a rose that feels ceremonious without becoming stiff, ‘Royal Jubilee’ still reads as one of the more refined pink shrub roses of its period.

FLOWERING

‘Royal Jubilee’ is unequivocally a repeat-flowering rose, blooming through summer and autumn. In temperate conditions, that means a principal flush from late spring or early summer, followed by recurrent flushes into autumn; in milder climates and in long seasons it may continue until early winter, though the exact rhythm depends on pruning, feeding, deadheading, rainfall, and disease pressure.

Flower bud:

The buds of this rose variety have broad, ovoid shape with pointed apex. The sepals have medium green colour with bluish tint, have a glabrous surface and are covered with a moderate quantity of glandular hairs of reddish colour on the upper surface. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth edges. As the sepals start to open the buds display the pink petals and paler undersides. The peduncles are long, moderately strong, tend to bend under the weight of the flowers, have medium green colour and are covered with some reddish glandular hairs.

Bloom:

The open flowers of the rose variety ‘Royal Jubilee’ are medium to large sized as for an English shrub rose, the size of the flower typically ranges about 5 - 9 cm (2 - 3.5 in.) in diameter, while in some climates and with a good care the size can be slightly larger. The flowers are very double, typically having around 35 - 40 petals per flower, the blooms of ‘Royal Jubilee’ give an impression of depth through petal curvature and form. Form is deep chalice-shaped, globular, peony-like, or almost spherical, with the petals turning inward so that the stamens remain only partly visible, and the flower retains its form well until the end. The colour is a rich deep pink, sometimes tending toward magenta, with a paler reverse that gives the flower depth and movement rather than a single flat tone. They are typically borne in small clusters or long peduncles, of 3 to 9 together, the flowers combine substantial individual presence with the softer ensemble effect beloved of border gardeners.

Petals:

The petals of ‘Royal Jubilee’ are broad, softly rounded, and substantial enough to hold the flower shape well, with edges that curve inward rather than frilling outward. The texture of the petals is soft and silky. As the flower ages, the deeper central pink usually softens somewhat, while the paler undersides become more apparent and the bloom relaxes from its deepest chalice toward a fuller, looser globe.

The petals last on a plant for about 3 to 4 days under normal growing conditions, and normally under scorching sun they fade very quickly, which is normal for English Shrub roses. Notably the petals and flowers withstand the rain really well. The profusion of blooms still creates spectacular flowering when one bloom after another opens and fades. The petals drop off cleanly from the plant leaving the plant clean and neat.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of rose ‘Royal Jubilee’ is in medium-strong to strong range and has a Fruity character with prominent blackcurrant notes. The Nagaoka International Fragrant Rose Trial recorded the scent in developmental sequence as follows: a fruity-green opening, with juicy and leafy accents, deepening into a sweet rose fragrance touched by honey and elegant tea nuances. The character of the fragrance shows more complexity than the short catalog phrase “Fruity”. The strength of the fragrance will, of course, vary with heat, humidity, time of day, flower age, and growing conditions.

Reproductive parts:

Due to the petal form and shape of the flowers the stamens are only just visible, or largely hidden, because the petals curve inward over the center, but when they are feasible they display rich golden yellow colour and amplify the charm of the flowers.

PLANT

As a plant, ‘Royal Jubilee’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of the English Shrub Roses collection created by Sr. David Austin. It is a large shrub rose, usually mature and well-established plants of this rose variety reach around 125 - 150 cm (4 - 5 ft) in height and about 100 - 125 cm (3 - 4 ft) in spread under normal growing conditions, though under proper care typically reaches the height of 140 - 150 cm (about 5 ft) and in width towards the 120 cm (4 ft). The growth habit of the plant is bushy, somewhat irregular in the attractive sense, and combines upright with gently arching growth. It is therefore most useful where a shrub may stand in its own fullness rather than being constrained into a rigid formal silhouette. In the mixed border it requires substantial middle-to-back placement; in a rose hedge it provides depth and a less mechanical look than many denser shrub roses.

In cultivation, it should be treated as a repeat-flowering shrub rose: give it a fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; full sun is ideal, though some English roses as a group cope with modest partial shade. ‘Royal Jubilee’ is most consistently recommended for full sun, east-, south-, or west-facing exposures, and sheltered rather than harshly exposed positions. Because the stems are fine and the flowers substantial, very windy sites may diminish the bloom display, so some protection from the worst desiccating or buffeting winds is beneficial. As with many English shrubs, pruning is better kept moderate than severe. Young plants need only light shaping; established repeat-flowering shrub roses are usually maintained by removing dead, damaged, and oldest wood, then reducing the remainder by about one-third if the goal is to preserve size and flowering. Hard cutting is possible if reduction is needed, but it tends to sacrifice some of the cultivar’s natural grace.

Ornamentally, it is particularly well suited to mixed borders, informal hedges, and positions near paths or seating where the scent can be appreciated. Some recommend it for containers, though in practice it is better in a generously sized pot than a cramped one, and it will always look most itself when root run and moisture are not restricted. Deadheading encourages further flushes, while leaving some late flowers uncut may occasionally permit autumnal fruiting, though this is not its best decorative feature. In design terms, its rich pink pairs particularly well with cool grey foliage, lavender-blue companions, and the silvered or glaucous leaves that echo its own subdued vegetative tone.

Foliage:

Whereas many modern shrubs carry simply dark green leaves, ‘Royal Jubilee’ has slightly bluish, blue-green, grey-green, or “typical Alba” in effect. There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose. The foliage is medium sized, rather matte and leathery. The number of the leaflets on normal leaves in the middle of the flowering stem is variable from 5 to 7, but most often there are 7 leaflets, including the terminal leaflet. What matters horticulturally is that the foliage does not disappear behind the flowers. It contributes to the old-rose atmosphere of the plant and sets off rich pink bloom especially well.

Leaflets:

Rose bears the usual odd-pinnate rose foliage, with leaflets that appear balanced and refined, they have broad ovate shape with acute base and the tip, the edges are serrated, the type of serration is medium sized, single closer to the base and more double closer to the tip. The general effect of the leaflets is blue-green, matte and leathery.

Wood:

The canes and branch structure are rather thin, slender, wiry, or undulating, and these contribute directly to the way the flowers are displayed. The wood of this rose has medium green colour and smooth bark. Rather than forming a stiff, dense mound, the shrub develops a poised architecture in which flowers are held with elegance above or just beyond the foliage. The plant itself is vigorous but not brutish, one that makes a full shrub with upright and arching elements. Over time the framework becomes bushy and somewhat broad, so it should not be jammed into a narrow slot between stronger perennials. It is a rose that benefits from visual breathing room.

Prickles:

The main canes and the laterals from the main canes of ‘Royal Jubilee’ have few prickles, or sometimes nearly prickless. For the working gardener this is not a trivial detail. It makes the shrub pleasanter to deadhead, train, and prune, and it slightly enlarges the number of places where the rose may be used near paths or seating. It should not be assumed to be entirely smooth in all circumstances, but compared with many shrub roses it is lightly armed and notably more mannered to handle. The prickles are medium sized, have slightly curved inward shape with broader base; the young prickles have purple-red colour and transitions to brown red when they mature.

Small prickles:

Under normal growing conditions the main canes and the laterals from the main canes of this rose do not have small prickles.

Disease resistance and stress tolerance:

Rose variety ‘Royal Jubilee’ has good vigour and disease resistance to most common rose pathogens powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa), downey mildew (peronospora species), blackspot (diplocarpon rosae) and rust (phragmidium tuberculatum) under normal growing conditions. In practical terms this means above-average garden health rather than absolute immunity. In black spot prone climates, gardeners should still rely on classical rose hygiene: full sun, open spacing, pruning for airflow, mulching to reduce soil splash, and scrupulous removal of infected leaves and debris. Black spot remains the most serious common rose disease; powdery mildew likewise worsens in stagnant, overcrowded plantings; and rust is reduced by good air circulation and dry foliage.

Cold hardiness is generallygoodIt is recommended for planting in climates similar to USDA Zones 5 - 11, and RHS rates it as H6, meaning hardy through all of the UK and northern Europe to about -20 to -15°C (-4 to 5°F). While ‘Royal Jubilee’ is reasonably hardy for a modern shrub rose, in colder gardens prudence is still wise: avoid hard autumn pruning, shorten only dangerously long shoots before winter, mulch the crown, and in Zone 5 or similarly exposed continental climates mound compost or soil over the base and leave 45 - 60 cm (18 - 24 in.) of cane above the mulch until spring.

In heat, deep watering at the base and summer mulching are more important than any claim of innate drought toughness. Roses generally dislike dry, poor, or waterlogged soils, and while Austin markets this cultivar for “all soil types” performance is best in fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained ground.

The name ‘Royal Jubilee’ was chosen by David Austin in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It therefore belongs to the long British tradition of naming commemorative garden plants for major royal occasions, while also echoing Austin’s earlier ‘Jubilee Celebration’, which marked the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

An additional point of nomenclatural interest concerns the breeder denomination. Older listings and some early trade references used the appellation ‘Ausparade’, but David Austin later advised that this had been changed to ‘Auspaddle’. RHS now records ‘Auspaddle’ as the protected breeder denomination and ‘Ausparade’ as a synonym.

Rose ‘Royal Jubilee’ achieved the Bronze Award in the Shrub category at the 8th International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka, Japan, awarded in 2014. The trial notes are especially valuable because they also recorded a detailed fragrance profile and bloom impression under testing conditions.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The precise parentage for rose variety ‘Auspaddle’ / 'Royal Jubilee' was not disclosed. It was officially introduced to the market in 2012 at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

‘Auspaddle’ / 'Royal Jubilee' belongs to a particularly resonant group of English roses with rich pink, fragrant, repeat-flowering shrubs that look back toward historic roses even while functioning as modern garden plants. Its likely Alba-inflected character places it in the gentler, slightly glaucous, less aggressively modern wing of the Austin family, nearer the old garden style than the high-colour theatricality of some later introductions.

It also sits within a sequence of royal Austin names. David Austin had already named ‘Jubilee Celebration’ in 2002 for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee; ‘Royal Jubilee’ followed in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee and rose ‘Elizabeth’ for the Platinum Jubilee, concluded this honoring group. That relationship of naming matters horticulturally as well as historically, because those three cultivars share a certain celebratory opulence, yet ‘Royal Jubilee’ feels more inward, cooler in tone, and more Alba-like in foliage and bearing. Among collectors, it has also acquired interest because it is not always as easy to source as the best-known Austins, which gives it a quiet aura of selectness without making it a mere rarity cult plant.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘Auspaddle’ / 'Royal Jubilee' may be recommended as a distinguished large English shrub rose for gardeners who value floral depth, colour nuance, perfume, and an old-rose atmosphere carried on a practical repeat-flowering plant. Its strongest quality is its harmony: rich pink bloom against subdued foliage, fruit fragrance against classic rose form, and a substantial shrub softened by relatively few prickles and elegant stems. Where it is well grown, it achieves a notably poised effect in the border, more ceremonious than casual, but never stiff. This rose incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

  deep pink, globular to deep-chalice blooms with inward-curving petals and paler reverses;

  a fruity fragrance often carrying blackcurrant and berry nuances;

  large, bushy English shrub habit with slender, wiry flowering stems;

  slightly bluish, grey-green, Alba-leaning foliage that enhances the bloom colour;

  relatively few prickles, making routine maintenance easier than on many comparable shrubs.

The suitable propagation methods for this rose are propagation by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, hardwood cuttings in autumn, or T-budding in summer; David Austin also distinguishes between grafted stock and own-root roses grown from cuttings, so both budding onto rootstock and own-root propagation are horticulturally appropriate methods, subject of course to plant-protection law.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

Precise seed and pollen parent documentation for this cultivar was not disclosed therefore, a formal parent-by-parent comparison cannot be made reliably.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

Among the similar roses that are still in sale, English shrub rose ‘Skylark’ can be considered most similar rose to ‘Auspaddle’ / 'Royal Jubilee'. The affinity lies principally in the character of the shrub and in a shared preference for breadth, air, and movement over the densely packed, heavily rosetted effect of many later English Roses. Both possess an Old-garden character expressed through relatively light, naturally proportioned growth, flowers carried with a degree of openness. ‘Skylark’ bears medium-sized, semi-double open cups of medium pink that soften towards lilac-pink, with the stamens clearly displayed. Its shrub is rounded, light, and airy, and its fragrance is a gentle blend of musk and Tea. ‘Royal Jubilee’ is the deeper, more ceremonious counterpart: its flowers are richer deep pink, more globular and markedly more chalice-shaped, with broad petals curving inward so that the reproductive centre is usually only partly seen. Its perfume is also fuller and darker, being predominantly fruity with the characteristic blackcurrant nuance, while its slightly bluish, Alba-like foliage gives the entire plant a cooler and more historic presence.

In garden effect, ‘Skylark’ is lighter, more open, and more informal, especially suitable where visible stamens, pollinator interest, and a relaxed border composition are desired. ‘Royal Jubilee’ is more sculptural and inward-looking, creating a deeper colour accent and a stronger sense of old-rose gravity without becoming heavy or rigid.

USDA 5

USDA Zone 5 - hardiness guide