THE Queen is being laid to rest today in a poignant funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
And King Charles made a touching tribute to his late mother and father’s unbreakable bond with his choice of flowers in the wreath.
The wreath contains “flowers and foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House” and each piece has a hidden meaning.
The floral arrangement includes Rosemary, which symbolises remembrance.
It also has Myrtle, which is an “ancient symbol of a happy marriage”.
In a special nod to The Queen and Prince Philip, the Myrtle was cut from a plant that was grown from Myrtle that featured in her wedding bouquet in 1947.
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The wreath also has English oak, which symbolises the “strength of love”.
It also includes scented pelargoniums; garden roses; autumnal hydrangea; sedum; dahlias; and scabious.
It comes as…
- Solemn King Charles leads the Royal Family in an emotional procession behind the Queen's coffin
- Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince George, 9, arrived at Westminster Abbey with mum Kate Middleton
- Meghan Markle bowed her head as she joined the Royals
- Prince Andrew wore a suit after being banned from his military uniform
- Two thousand mourners including world leaders gathered for the funeral
Even the colour of the wreath has been given special thought.
The flowers are in the shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy with touches of white, and this is to represent the Royal Standard, on which it sits.
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King Charles also requested that the wreath be made in a “totally sustainable way” and it sits in a nest of English moss and oak branches without the use of floral foam.
The funeral, which began at 11am at Westminster Abbey, comes after millions of mourners paid their respects to the beloved Monarch in the last seven days.
Around 2,000 guests are attending the hour-long televised service, including Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden.
In solemn scenes, the royal family have been united, including Prince Harry and Prince William.
The King once again led his family in marching behind the Queen's coffin when it was moved, at 10.44am on Monday, from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral service.
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He walked with his sister Princess Anne, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex and behind the quartet was the Queen's grandsons Peter Phillips, the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales.
They were followed by the late monarch's son-in-law Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen's cousin, and her nephew the Earl of Snowdon.
The Queen's coffin was carried during the procession on a 123-year-old gun carriage towed by 98 Royal Navy sailors in a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.
The Procession was led by a massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force – numbering 200 musicians.
On the way to Westminster Abbey, the procession went through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary.
The procession arrived at the west gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am when the bearer party lifted the coffin from the gun carriage and carried it into the Abbey for the state funeral service.
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