Weddings are planned with traditions in mind, from the choice of venue to the bouquet, this is more important when it comes to royal weddings.
Did you know that the bundle of flowers every royal bride carried on her big day represents something meaningful to her homeland, personality or family traditions?
Princess Mary of Denmark added eucalyptus from her homeland to her bundle because it was connected to her roots and for family customs, Kate Middleton added myrtle to her bouquet as it is a British royal family tradition.
Princess Mette-Marit of Norway designed an unusual linear cascade of purple blooms for her big day and Lady Gabriella Windsor who married Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in May 2019 carried a bouquet which featured a creamy ivory ‘Ella’ rose by David Austin, named after her, as well as Juliet roses, lily of the valley and white and apricot sweet peas, as well as a sprig of myrtle.
Princess Eugenie’s autumnal wedding bouquet for her October 2018 nuptials was created by celebrity florist Rob van Helden and it included the traditional spring of myrtle, lily of the valley, white spray roses, trailing iris and ivy – believed to be a homage to her and Jack Brooksbank’s home Ivy Cottage and
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan bouquet was made by florist Philippa Craddock comprising of scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, astrantia, forget-Me-Nots that were hand-picked by Harry from the couple’s private garden at Kensington Palace – which were Princess Diana’s favourite flowers – and the traditional sprig of myrtle.
Kate’s bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly,with picks from the Middletons’ and the royal family’s favourite stems. Each flower was symbolic: lilies, for the return of happiness; hyacinths, for steady love; ivy, for fidelity and friendship; and myrtle, the emblem of matrimony. And as tradition dictates, Kate’s bridal bouquet was placed by a royal official at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior inside Westminster Abbey after the official wedding photographs were completed. Autumn also had roses, lily of the valley, stephanotis and ivy in her bouquet and her husbands’s sister Zara Tindall carried a bouquet which included pale thistles, Scotland’s national flower, calla lilies, hydrangeas, and Senecio foliage.
Other royals like Charlene Wittstock whose teardrop bouquet was designed by Giorgio Armani and created by groom Prince Albert’s gardeners, Alessandra de Osma, Princess Sofia of Sweden-whose bouquest had some family tradition too, with sprigs of myrtle from the bush brought to Sweden by Princess Margaret of Connaught, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden-whose bouquest contained fragrant white flowers for her lavish nuptials, including lily of the valley, orchids, clematis, peonies, roses and gardenias all speak tradition and norm.
French-born Princess Marie of Denmark honoured Danish tradition by including winter barley from the fields of Schackenborg and myrtle from the Fredensborg palace andCamilla Parker Bowles carried a posy including a sprig of myrtle – which is traditionally included in British royal wedding bouquets – from Cornwall. Queen Letizia of Spain’s bouquet elegantly combined Elizabethan roses, irises and lilies – all blooms that have been historically linked to husband King Felipe’s Bourbon dynasty.
Also, Tasmanian-born Princess Mary’s bouquet was a dramatic cascade which featured antique roses, stephanotis, azaleas, spirea and, last but not least, eucalyptus flown in from Australia especially for the occasion, a nod to the bride’s heritage and finally Princess Martha Louise of Norway whose heart-shaped and comprised three types of flowers – orchids, lilies and a typical Norwegian flower called ‘liljekonvall’ – which her groom Ari Behn complemented by wearing in his pocket.
