King Charles Leaves Subtle Goodbye To The Queen In Her Funeral Flowers

As the world watches and mourns, England lays to rest Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8. In a time of such sadness, there are quiet gestures of symbolism to rebuff the heartache. In one such instance, the wreath atop the queen's coffin is a tender nod to her love of flowers and gardening. King Charles III made specific requests for the extraordinary arrangement, according to Country Living. It's comprised of flowers from her many beloved gardens — Charles reportedly selected a few of the pink roses, in addition to the rosemary and greenery. Leading Britain's Conversation reports that the wreath includes pine from the Balmoral estate, where Her Majesty spent her final days.

Additionally, Country Living reports that the flower arrangement included a stunning collection of white button chrysanthemums, phlox, sweet peas, dahlias, white spray roses, white heather, pine fir, white freesias, foliage, rosemary, hebe, spray eryngium, and pittosporum. "This wreath of flowers has included a selection of foliage, including pines from the gardens of Balmoral, and lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor," according to Country Living correspondent Fergal Keane. "There's rosemary; that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember."

The wreath also includes sweet peas, a gesture in remembrance of the queen's late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Hello! recounts that Her Majesty selected the flower, which is symbolic of farewells, for his funeral in 2021. Among the many meaningful flowers, one flower, in particular, seems to embody the queen's unyielding dedication to service. Lavender is especially fitting for the occasion since it is symbolic of calmness, devotion, and grace — the very qualities for which the queen is known.