A MEMORIAL to Diana, Princess of Wales was unveiled as part of a £20 million expansion of The Gardens of The Rose in St Albans, at Hampton Court Flower Show on Tuesday.

The ambitious plans have received the approval of the Queen and Queen Mother, who will also have gardens at the site dedicated to them to mark their Golden Jubilee and Centenary respectively.

The Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) chose to reveal its detailed plans for the Royal National Rose Garden in Chiswell Green amid the splendour of London's famous floral exhibition, which attracted thousands of visitors to its opening day despite soaring temperatures.

Plans for the garden were originally revealed in 1999 prior to a planning inquiry, which was concluded last year, and will include the construction of a new access road off the A405.

This road must be built before work on the re-design and expansion of the rose gardens can begin. It will ensure easier access to the site from the nearby M25 and M1.

Presenting the plans at Tuesday's conference was director general of the RNRS Ken Grapes.

He said: "It's wonderful, it is something we have been working on for the past 12 to 15 years, as nearly everyone in St Albans will know.

"The planning process can hold up these things, but slowly and surely problems have been overcome.

"The Queen Mother is our patron, so we felt it appropriate to have a garden to mark her Centenary and at the same time we decided to make a garden for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, which is next year.

"Our garden designer, Professor David Stevens, saw it as a shame that there wasn't a proper commemoration for Diana and he suggested we should create something in our garden."

Each garden will be individual in its design, with the Diana Memorial Garden marked by its magnificent rock and gold spire, which will feature a rock that will be imported from China.

The aim of the spire, Mr Grapes explained, is to take visitors' eyes up into the sky and with it their thoughts.

The Queen's garden, Mr Grapes added: "Will be a rose and water staircase the like of which exists nowhere in the entire world.

"The Queen Mother's garden is the Centenary Walk, with a double pergola of English oak and brick tile leading to a central feature."

When work begins later this year the garden will be the largest under construction anywhere in the world and is scheduled to open to the public in 2003.

To commemorate the unveiling of the final plans BBC radio personality Sarah Kennedy was joined by pupils from Abbey JMI School in Grove Road, St Albans, to launch a new collection of Royal Roses.

The collection includes 11 new rose varieties, which have been inspired by Princess Diana, The Queen and the Queen Mother.

One of the new varieties has been entitled Mummy, profits from which will go towards the maintenance of the Royal National Rose Garden and will be available from garden centres and rose nurseries across the country.

Titles for the remaining roses include A Royal Bride, Crowning Glory and England's Rose.

The Queen and Queen Mother received plans of their gardens prior to their unveiling this week and were said to be delighted by their designs.

Mr Grapes said: "Both ladies loved their designs. We have sent them the plans and a description and we will now be sending the artist's impression.

"They have both said how pleased they are and we are certainly hoping that the Queen or another member of the royal family will open the new garden."

Mastermind behind the plans Professor Stevens, one of the UK's leading garden designers, who has worked in his field for the past 30 years was praised this week for his innovation.

The expansion of the gardens, which received a mixed reception from residents in Chiswell Green when initial plans were first unveiled in 1999, is expected to create new jobs as well as offering educational facilities to pupils around the district.

Meanwhile, the proposals are expected to attract thousands of visitors to St Albans from across the country and throughout the world.