The Queen's wreath has special connection to Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on Monday 19th September 2022 at Westminster Abbey, after she passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle on Thursday 8th September.
While exact details of the ceremony are yet to be formally announced, the wreath prepared by Balmoral staff for her coffin includes some of Her Majesty's favourite flowers.
What will the Queen's funeral flowers be?
The Queen's coffin left Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 14th September, with thousands of people lining the streets of London to pay their respects.
Draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland, the wreath sat atop the coffin is made from some of the Queen's favourite flowers, picked from the Balmoral Estate. These include sweet peas, dahlias, phlox, white heather, pine fir, white spray roses, white freesias, white button chrysanthemums, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.
According to Hello! Magazine, the sweet peas are also a nod to the Queen's late husband, Prince Philip. When he died in April 2021, the Queen picked out sweet peas for his funeral wreath. The flowers are often associated with the ideas of departures and goodbyes, meanwhile dahlias can represent a lasting commitment between two people.
The full details for the Queen's funeral flowers are yet to be announced.
Public floral tributes to the Queen
Since the announcement of Her Majesty's death, mourners have been flooding to royal residences to lay tribute bouquets. In particular at Balmoral, Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Sandringham.
A dedicated memorial flower garden has been set up in Green Park, London. Here, mourners have been helping Royal Parks gardeners take the plastic wrapping off the flowers, to aide the compost process and keep the blooms looking fresh.
The Royal Parks issued a statement saying: "Visitors are invited to leave floral tributes at a dedicated site in The Green Park. You will be asked to remove wrappings from floral tributes. Please consider arriving with the wrapping already removed. Bins will be provided for those unable to do so. You are respectfully asked not to lay tributes outside of the official floral tribute site. Removing the wrapping will aid the longevity of the flowers and will assist in subsequent composting which will start between one week and a fortnight after the date of the funeral."
What are the Queen's favourite flowers?
Queen Elizabeth II loved to be surrounded by flowers, particularly Lily-of-the-Valley. The Queen's love of the white bloom is well-documented, stemming from its inclusion in her coronation bouquet in 1953. In addition to being a staple flower for key royal events, Lily-of-the-Valley is also a permanent feature of the floral displays at Buckingham Palace.
Elegant and hardy, it has dark green leaves and white, bell-shaped, fragrant flowers. It is famed for being relatively easy to grow. We expect to see them in the Queen's funeral flowers.
Is there a rose named after Queen Elizabeth II?
Elizabeth (Ausmajesty), a graceful pale pink-apricot rose, was a new variety launched by David Austin Roses to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Named in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the flower has a strong, sweet, fresh fragrance with hints of lemon sherbet and Old Rose.
What colour is the Queen Elizabeth rose?
According to the RHS, the Rosa 'The Queen Elizabeth' is a very tall, upright rose with leathery, dark green leaves. It produces small clusters or scented, pink blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. Loved around the world, it was first bred by rose grower, Dr. Walter Lammerts, in the United States in 1954.
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