Say it with flowers! King Charles’ touching floral tribute to his Queen… with the flower he chose on their wedding day
- Unlike his mother’s coronation, Charles’ big day will have flowers in the abbey
- The plants were chosen because they are in season by florist Shane Connolly
King Charles has paid a touching tribute to his wife by displaying a flower from the buttonhole he wore to their wedding as part of the stunning floral display at Westminster Abbey for his coronation.
The arrangements include hellebore – a particular favorite of the king – as well as honeysuckle, tulips, blossom, jasmine, ranunculus and aquilegia – an ancient symbol of the Holy Spirit.
They also contain leaves of rosemary, birch, bay and hazel and wild gorse grown on the Isle of Skye.
The plants were all chosen because they are in season and will be donated to Floral Angels, who repurpose event arrangements into bouquets to share with care homes, hospices and shelters. Camilla is a patron of the charity.
Florist Shane Connolly, who is in charge of the arrangements, said there were no flowers at the Abbey at the late Queen’s coronation in 1953, only on the processional route.
Florist Shane Connolly, pictured here at Westminster Abbey, is responsible for the floral arrangements for the big event
The coronation floral arrangements will include a flower from the buttonhole Charles wore during his wedding to Camilla (pictured)
“The abbey was so crowded with people, and everyone wore scarlet robes, there was no room for flowers,” he said.
By contrast, the guest list for Charles’ ceremony tomorrow has been reduced to 2,300 from Queen Elizabeth’s 8,000 – leaving room for a splash of color.
They were provided by Flowers from the Farm, a non-profit organization that advocates artisan growers, with leaves from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) on the high altar.
More than 120 varieties of flowers have been grown by 80 gardeners across the UK, including in Cornwall and the village of Tobermore, Northern Ireland.
In line with the king’s passion for ‘sustainability’, the flowers and foliage are arranged without disposable plastic or floral foam.
The arrangements reflect Their Majesties’ deep affection for the natural world and their shared passion for gardening, showcasing the ‘best of the British countryside in springtime’.
Connolly, who also provided the flowers for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, said his arrangements would ‘reflect the real characters of the King and Queen’.
‘That’s what it’s about, those personal things. It’s not about showing off. It’s all about this emotion and sentiment,” he said.
The 60-year-old said he wanted to use British-grown seasonal flowers in a big way, adding: “If guests are bringing something I’d love it like, ‘Wow, that’s all grown in Britain!’ Is not that great!’
“So many big events that people go to are full of flowers that have flown halfway across the world. This is British, grown in the soil of the kingdom.’