What's your favourite roses?

[riverrune]

I know this has been done to death but..... I've got a space in my garden in which I'd like to plant a rose. I'm toying with the idea of a Princess Alexandra of Kent, but I thought I'd ask the opinion of the wise MNers of this board first! Does anyone have this variety and would you recommend it? Is there anything else you prefer? I've already got a Desdemona, Olivia Rose Austin, Mary Delaney and a Margaret Merrill. Ideally I'd like something pink or white, scented and fairly resistant to blackspot. TIA!

that's a shame @WellTidy,its a beautiful rose. Better look after the ones I have then!

For a pale pink, Souvenir de St Anne's is beautiful and unusual. It has a deep scent, and starts as a dark blush and opens into a very pale pink, almost white. It opens to an almost single flower so the pollen is very accessible to bees, which I like. And it is very floriferous! It's always the first of my roses to flower in the spring and it keeps going all summer.

For darker reds, I also love the scent on Munstead Wood (but very thorny) or Darcey Bussell, which is almost thornless and has very elegant stems.