King Charles III (73) wrote a farewell to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), and left it on her coffin. The note, which was displayed in the floral decorations at the funeral service on Monday (19.9.) in London’s Westminster Abbey, reads: “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.”
King Charles had specially requested the plants of the crape. The flowers and greenery come from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House. The floral decoration was composed of rosemary, myrtle, pedunculate oak, geraniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangeas, sedum, dahlias and scabious.
Some flowers were chosen for their symbolism: rosemary represents commemoration, while myrtle was grown from a myrtle sprig from the Queen’s wedding bouquet. The myrtle is an ancient symbol of a happy marriage. The pedunculate oak, on the other hand, symbolizes the strength of love.
Details of the floral decorations were posted by the palace on Instagram: “At the request of the king, the wreath includes leaves of rosemary, pedunculate oak and myrtle (from a plant grown from the myrtle in the queen’s wedding bouquet), as well as flowers in gold, pink and deep hues Shades of burgundy with touches of white, borrowed from the gardens of royal residences.”
The state funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, where the Queen was crowned and married her late husband, Prince Philip (1926-2022).
