Flowers will reflect the ‘real’ King and Queen
Monarchs’ hands-off approach let florist pick British blooms that show their passion for gardening
THE floral arrangements that will decorate Westminster Abbey tomorrow have been chosen to “reflect the real characters” of the King and Queen.
The church will be awash with blooms from all four corners of the United Kingdom – a riot of purples, reds, yellows and oranges.
They include 30 varieties of tulips, crab apple blooms, azaleas and rhododendrons, as well as branches of trees planted by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Shane Connolly, 60, the florist who was in charge of the arrangements for the weddings of both the King and Queen in 2005 and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011, has been entrusted with the job.
He said: “The flowers are one of the things that can reflect the real characters of the King and Queen, simple garden flowers that are British seasonal, like they might cut from their own gardens. I felt that was really important.
“Maybe this and the music are the two things that really reflect that personality.
“That was my aim, to make it all incredibly personal to them.”
The flowers have been provided by Flowers From the Farm, a non-profit association based in Hampshire that champions artisan growers.
The service will feature more than 120 varieties, grown on farms from the Isle of Skye to the Cornish coast.
The arrangements are said to reflect the King and Queen’s deep affection for the natural world and their shared passion for gardening, while showcasing the best of the British countryside in the spring.
They will be arranged using sustainable techniques, without the use of single-use plastics or floral foam.
Mr Connolly, who has a team of six, disclosed there had been no specific requests from the King or Queen.
“It only works when you trust the growers, and your client trusts you,” he added.
The florist is suitably acquainted with Their Majesties’ tastes to make informed decisions without their input.
He has included some of their favourites, including hellebores for the King – they featured in his buttonhole at his 2005 wedding – and lily of the valley and auriculas for the Queen, which formed a part of her wedding bouquet. Although Mr Connolly is a veteran of royal weddings, he said that the Coronation was different. “I feel that it had to have a bit of gravitas,” he added.
“The colours are more serious. And we were very much inspired by the Cosmati pavement and the high altar.
“It’s almost like a stained glass window – the deep reds, earthy colours, coppery colours and fresh green.”
When discussing his plans with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), he was told that they had two trees, one planted by Elizabeth II and one by Prince Philip.
“Then somebody remembered that there was a clump of trees that Queen
Victoria used to visit at Bridgewater,” Mr Connolly added, referring to the RHS garden in Salford.
“So they’ve cut branches and sent them to me and suddenly it becomes really relevant. That’s what it’s all about – those personal things. It’s not about showing off. It’s all about this emotion and sentiment.
“If guests take away something I would love it to be, ‘Wow, that was all grown in Britain. Isn’t that amazing.’
“So many big events people go to are full of flowers that have been flown halfway round the world. This is British, grown in the soil of the kingdom.
“There are probably 30 different varieties of tulips, including some wonderful old varieties of tulips – things that would have been at the coronation of Charles I.”
Mr Connolly said the cold spring had turned out to his advantage as it has prevented the early blooming of some flowers. “That’s been good because it’s meant that we have all these incredible [flowers] – the very last of the crab apples, we’ve got azaleas and rhododendrons, which we might not have had on a hot spring. So I’m thrilled that it was a cold spring.
“I don’t think we’ve lost anything I would want to have. Roses, maybe, but who needs roses?”
At Elizabeth II’S 1953 coronation, there were no flowers in the abbey, although they were in the annexe and on the processional route.
“The abbey was so full of people, and everyone wearing scarlet robes, that there was no place for flowers,” Mr Connolly added.
After the ceremony, all flowers will be donated to Floral Angels, a charity that will repurpose them into arrangements to share with hospices, care homes, shelters and other beneficiaries. The Queen is patron of the organisation.
‘This and the music are two things that reflect personality. My aim was to make it incredibly personal’