WIREDGOV

Hosted at Kew Gardens in London, the ‘Wonders of the Wild’ event celebrates the work of Elephant Family and is the conclusion of the ‘Big Egg Hunt’; a public art trail which brought together leading artists and designers to create more than 120 egg sculptures, displayed at iconic locations across London as part of a free public art trail.

The Elephant Family works in partnership with conservation experts on the ground to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the communities that live alongside it. Established by Her Majesty’s brother Mark Shand in 2002, since then, the charity has helped to deliver pioneering projects to protect wildlife, restore habitats and promote coexistence between people and animals. The charity is now part of the British Asian Trust.

Featuring over 120 large-scale Egg Sculptures across 30 locations throughout London, The Big Egg Hunt 2025 was a public art campaign that delighted art enthusiasts and families across London while raising awareness and funds for Asian wildlife conservation. One of the eggs the ‘Green Man Dumpty Humpty Egg’ created by Royal Drawing School alumna, Alice Shirely, was placed outside The King’s Gallery and Her Majesty met the artist and viewed the egg last month.

The Queen visits the ‘Green Man Dumpty Humpty Egg’ outside The King's Gallery in April.

During the event, Their Majesties walked down an avenue lined with over 30 egg sculptures that formed part of the ‘Big Egg Hunt’ meeting some of the artists next to their eggs including Instagram creator, Sophie Tea, longstanding Elephant Family supporter, Simon Emery, and Patricia Mitchell whose egg was voted as one of the most popular on the Trail.

Arriving at the Temperate House, The King and Queen met some of the charity’s supporters, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Gok Wan, who performed later in the evening, and eight-year old Matilde Rodrigues who was one of the first people to complete the art trail by collecting all 123 eggs (via the specially designed Elephant Family app).

The King and Queen presented the Mark Shand Award and the Tara Award, named after an elephant, befriended by Her Majesty's brother.

The Mark Shand Award, named in honour of the late founder of Elephant Family, pays homage to the enduring legacy of Mark Shand. It acknowledges those who embody his visionary spirit and dedication to protecting wildlife.

The Tara Award, inspired by the sacred bond between elephants and humans, recognises extraordinary achievements in storytelling and advocacy for coexistence.