Pixie Geldof and friends celebrate heritage at the Palm House, Kew

Last night celebrities and honoured guests gathered at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to celebrate the iconic Palm House, which recently became a World Monument Fund signature site.

The event, hosted by the British branch of the World Monuments Fund, included an extensive tour of the historic Palm House followed by a drinks reception and lavish dinner in the Temperate House. Wine was provided by Bird in Hand wine. Other sponsors included Cabana, Portofino Dry Gin and Giorgio Armani.

Among the guests were actor Emilia Fox, model Pixie Geldof and her husband George Barnett, socialite Jack Guinness and his husband Oliver James Broughton and the artist Marc Quinn, who has just unveiled a solo exhibition of sculptures at Kew Gardens.

The Palm House, designed by Decimus Barton in the mid 19th century, has long provided a home to all manner of threatened and critically endangered tropical plants. It also hosts the world’s oldest potted plant.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has partnered with the World Monuments Fund to support the conservation of the site, restoring parts of it while minimising carbon emissions to make it a carbon neutral glass house by 2030.

Founded in 1965, the World Monuments Fund has raised over $300m for heritage projects and conserved over 700 monument sites around the world.