King Charles's Coronation Flowers Include a Special Tribute to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip

While King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation formally celebrates the monarch's ascension to the throne, it'll also pay homage to the legacy of his late parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who died in 2022 and 2021.

Ahead of the big day, Buckingham Palace released new details about the floral decorations that will adorn Westminster Abbey tomorrow. One such design to grace the Abbey's High Altar includes a sweet nod to the couple.

The High Altar will be covered in "boughs cut from flowering shrubs and trees from the five Royal Horticultural Society gardens across the British Isles," the palace said in a statement. Among these branches will be a pair from the Dawyck beech trees that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip planted at the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley garden back in 1928.

Other seasonal foliage that we can expect to see on the High Altar are crab apple blossom, amelanchier, camellia, acer, hazel, rhododendron, and azalea, which will be arranged next to beech cut from an ancient cluster of trees at the Royal Horticultural Society's Bridgewater garden, which Queen Victoria once visited.

After the ceremony, the flowers and branches are due to be donated to Floral Angels, a volunteer-run charity that repurposes event flowers into arrangements for care homes, hospices, and shelters. (Camilla is the royal patron of Floral Angels.)

The coronation flowers have been provided by nonprofit Flowers from the Farm andwill feature over 120 varieties. Shane Connolly and Co., who previously arranged Charles and Camilla's 2005 wedding flowers as well as Prince William and Princess Kate's 2011 wedding flowers, has been tasked with designing the day's arrangements.

The palace notes that the floral designs "will reflect Their Majesties’ deep affection for the natural world and their shared passion for gardening, and showcase the best of the British countryside in the Spring, inspired by the richness of Westminster Abbey. The flowers and foliage will be arranged using sustainable techniques, without the use of single use plastics or floral foam."

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