The Wreath Of Flowers On The Queen's Coffin Has A Heartbreaking Tie To Prince Philip

The fact that Queen Elizabeth II loved flowers was no secret; Hello! pointed out that she was an enthusiastic Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society, and she was a regular at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show. She has even noted that "plants, trees and flowers have been a source of pleasure."  

But flowers and plants appear to mean more to the late queen than just sentiment, because per Harvard Papers in Botany, the queen has also been seen using plants "to link the present with the past," particularly during important occasions. It is a practice the journal says she began during her coronation, so there is no surprise that Queen Elizabeth II's wreath, as prepared by King Charles III, is heavy with symbolism — per The Telegraph — filled with both flowers and plant decor taken from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Highgrove House.

The bouquet contains a special nod to the queen's past: myrtle, which was taken from a plant that came from a cutting from her wedding bouquet. Other flowers that King Charles III selected for Queen Elizabeth's funeral wreath include pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious — with colors meant to reflect those seen on the Royal Standard which covered her coffin (via The Telegraph). But the wreath has plants too — and these are just as meaningful as the colorful blossoms: English oak as a symbol of love, and rosemary for remembrance.