Lifestyle
The significance of the chosen flowers for the Queen’s funeral and their meaning
The funeral of Her Majesty was accompanied by some chosen flowers which included a wreath made up of spring from the late monarch’s wedding bouquet.
At the request of King Charles III, it contains flowers as well as foliage which has been cut from the gardens of royal residences including Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House.
Much of this has been chosen for its symbolism.
Amongst the wreath are the English oak which symbolizes the strength of love, as well as scented pelargoniums; garden roses; autumnal hydrangea; sedum; dahlias and scabious.
These came in colourful shades of pink, deep burgundy and gold – while the Royal Standard is reflected with touches of white throughout the wreath.
The flowers attracted one unexpected visitor as the coffin proceeded up the aisle of Westminster Abbey, with a spider running from the wreath and across the note inside the display, written by King Charles III to his late mother.
At the request of His Majesty, it is a sustainable collection of flowers, which is sitting in a nest of English moss and oak branches, and does not use floral foam.
Meanwhile the King’s handwritten, seven-word note to his mother, sitting on top of the wreath, read: ‘In loving and devoted memory. Charles R’.
King Charles left a hand-written note for his late mother
The wreath provides a contrast to the floral arrangement which adorned the coffin when it travelled along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
At that time the Royal Family announced that the wreath was made up of dahlias, sweet peas, phlox, white heather, and pine fir, all of which were gathered from the monarch’s Balmoral estate.
National Daily gathered from the report from the Daily Mail that the flowers additionally included white and green spray roses, freesias, button chrysanthemums, dried heather, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.
The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II takes place at London’s Westminster Abbey before the monarch is finally laid to rest.
