King George III oak tree set to draw half-term visitors

The tree is located in the grounds of Longleat House, near Warminster, which was visited by the king, his queen Charlotte, and their daughters Charlotte, Elizabeth, and August.

The changing colour of the leaves on 'King George’s oak' will be a feature of the estate’s Great British Autumn event, which runs from October 26 to November 3.

The event will offer a range of seasonal activities, including a scarecrow trail that takes in the tree.

King George's visit, hosted by the 1st Marquess of Bath, was attended by 45 people and liveried servants.

The 1st Marquess of Bath (Image: Drew PR) Archivist Emma Challinor said: "One contemporary report estimates that nearly 30,000 people gathered in the park to try and get a glimpse of the king, although in a letter Queen Charlotte suggested it was ‘computed to be 17,000 people’."

During their visit, the royal family dined in what is now known as the Green Library, on crimson and gold chairs that are still at Longleat today.

The dining table was decorated with arches of flowers and sugar sculptures prepared by London confectioner James Gunter.

A Sèvres dinner service, believed to have been purchased for the royal visit, is also still in the Longleat collection.

The royal family took part in several activities during their visit, including a tour of the house and a visit to the menagerie to see the exotic creatures.

Ms Challinor said: "The late 18th-century menagerie was located near the entrance to the present-day safari park."

While there is no contemporary record of the tree planting, 19th-century records suggest two oak trees were planted in the gardens by the king and queen.

Ms Challinor said: "'King George’s oak' remains, the queen’s tree, standing nearby, was cut down when the hard tennis court was put in in 1925.

"A plan of the gardens at Longleat drawn in 1869 confirms that there were certainly two oak trees of similar size to each other growing there at that date."

At the time of the planting, the gardens to the north of the house were not formally laid out and mainly consisted of a grass area punctuated by trees.

The oaks were kept when the formal gardens were plotted in the early 19th century and the new stable yard was built, suggesting they were of special significance.