A florist from Warrington was commissioned to produce the first-ever Tudor Rose for The Queen’s Funeral.
Ruth Long of Honey Bee Florists used the roses to create a wreath that was formally laid at Windsor Castle and then taken for personal inspection by King Charles III.
Although the Tudor Rose is the symbol of British Royalty it is not a real flower. Instead, it is an amalgamation of two: the red rose of Lancashire and the white rose of Yorkshire. It was adopted at the end of the War of the Roses as a symbol of reconciliation but had only previously existed on paper.
Ruth was able to create realistic flowers for the first time by using silk petals that have only been developed to a high standard recently. Seven of them were placed in the wreath, one for each decade of HM The Queen’s reign.
The wreath was laid at Cambridge Gate, Windsor Castle, by TalkTV presenter Andre Walker. He was accompanied by YouTube Star Mahyar Tousi and Cllr Shemshul Shelim. They were escorted by security staff from both The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and The Royal Household.
It was kept at Cambridge Gate for two days (Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September) before being moved to St George’s Chapel for the internment ceremony. This enabled members of the Royal Family to view it privately.
Ruth said: “I believe one of the essential skills of a floral designer is the ability to translate a client’s requirements into something that not only meets but exceeds their expectations. So when we were commissioned to design and create this unique and special Tudor Rose Wreath for Her Majesty’s passing, I knew that it was going to be technically challenging, emotional and above all had to be right for this moment in history.
“I am so very proud and excited by what we created and in such a short space of time. I hope the Royal Family are pleased with it too. God bless her Majesty the Queen.”
Ruth previously designed a wreath for the funeral of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Both wreaths were produced to represent members of the public who cannot pay their respects in person. They make a small donation and their names are added to the wreath’s inscription letter.
Cllr Shelim, who is HM The Queen’s local councillor, said: “On behalf of the people of The Royal Borough I would like to thank everyone involved in the commissioning and production of this important wreath.
“The Tudor Rose is a symbol of unity and I can think of no more unifying figure than Queen Elizabeth. It is also fitting that the first ever Tudor Rose was made in the North of England and used for the first time at a Royal Palace.”
The wreath dwarfed Benjamin Walker aged 5 of Woolston (pictured below) who helped deliver it to Windsor.
Proud Warrington florist honoured to provide flowers for Royal funeral
