Queen Elizabeth's Funeral Wreath Had A Nod To Her And Prince Philip's Wedding
Every single aspect of it contained a special meaning.
On Sept. 19, the longest reigning monarch in the U.K., Queen Elizabeth II, was laid to rest. The funeral, which took place at Westminster Abbey, not only paid tribute to the monarch, but nodded to her 73-year marriage to Prince Philip. Here’s the sweet way Queen Elizabeth’s funeral wreath was connected to Prince Philip.
As the Queen’s casket made its way down Westminster Abbey, viewers couldn’t help but notice the beautiful wreath displayed on top of the casket that consisted of a mix of flowers and foliage. According to CNN, the wreath was seated on a nest of English moss and oak branches, and the foliage used on the wreath featured a symbolic arrangement of rosemary, myrtle, and English oak. Each piece of foliage was chosen with intention — the rosemary stands for remembrance, the English oak serves as a symbol of the strength of love, and the myrtle represents a happy marriage.
But it gets even sweeter, because the exact bundle of myrtle used in the wreath was grown from a sprig from her wedding bouquet from 1947. BRB, crying.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for 73 years until the Philip’s passing in 2021. Considering the couple spent seven years courting one another before their first publicized meeting, there must’ve been a lot of myrtle — the happy marriage plant — incorporated into their union over those 73 years.
Since his death, the Queen has found many ways to keep his memory alive. At his funeral in April 2021, the monarch wore the same brooch she wore on her honeymoon, and in her first Christmas speech after his passing, the queen prominently displayed a photo of the couple gazing into each other’s eyes for all to see. And it all came full circle with this final touch.
According to CNN, the wreath’s flowers were picked straight from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Highgrove House (all royal residences) at the request of King Charles III. The flowers contained a mix of autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious. Each flower was picked in shades of pink, gold, deep burgundy, and hints of white to reflect the Royal Standard it sits on. The wreath was created sustainably, also at the request of Charles.
After the funeral, the couple will be finally be laid to rest together at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
