The British Royal Family’s Favorite Flowers
Updated: Oct. 06, 2022Have you ever wondered which flowers are favorites with the British Royal Family? Here's the scoop!
The Queen
When Queen Elizabeth II would return to Buckingham Palace after spending the weekend at Windsor Castle, there’d always be a posy of flowers on her desk to welcome her back. Her Majesty’s favorite flower was the primrose, an early spring flower that’s yellow like the sun—a reminder that summer is on its way!
The Duchess of Cambridge
Like the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge has a love for natural flowers, as shown by her inclusion of lily of the valley in her wedding bouquet. This beautiful flower, with its delicate white bells, blooms in shady spots during May and is famous for its gorgeous scent, which may be why Kate chose it for her bouquet.
The Duchess of Sussex
Before she deleted her social media accounts, Meghan’s Instagram feed often featured her favorite flower—the peony. It’s believed that peonies have been growing in Eastern gardens for over 4,000 years, and the frilly blooms with a lovely scent come in every color except blue (Meghan’s favorite is pink!). Peonies bloom in the summer and grow surprisingly well in pots.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry is rumored to have inherited the family love of horticulture and was even seen helping with gardening on his gap year in Africa. His charity Sentebale, set up to help children affected by HIV / AIDs, is named after the forget-me-not, which was also one of Princess Diana’s favorite flowers and has been exhibited at the renowned Chelsea Flower Show.
Diana, Princess of Wales
Princess Diana had a passion for white roses, and her sons William and Harry often make use of them in her memory. The former Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace was converted into the White Garden in 2017, to mark 20 years since her death. And white roses were used at Prince William and Prince Harry’s weddings.
King Charles III
King Charles III has a world-famous garden at his private residence, Highgrove House, and he takes an active role in managing it. His favorite flowers take pride of place in the Cottage Garden—delphiniums (also known as larkspur). These traditional flowers are usually blue, but at Highgrove, the Prince also grows other colors for variety.
The Duchess of Cornwall
The Duchess of Cornwall is a keen gardener, and has even spent time gardening with her grandson, Prince George. Camilla’s wedding bouquet was a simple yet elegant design, including her favorite flowers lily of the valley and the primrose. She is patron of the Floral Angels charity which recycles flowers and presents them to those in need, such as cancer patients or the elderly. Like every other royal wedding bouquet, she also continued the tradition of including myrtle (shown here), cut from a bush belonging to Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria
Perhaps today’s Royal Family takes their inspiration for favorite flowers from Queen Victoria. She also loved wildflowers, and one of her favorites was the violet. This little unassuming wildflower grows in British woodlands, and as well as its pretty flower, it also has a wonderful scent which is much loved in perfumes and sachets.
Left unchecked, violets make very effective ground cover.
Prince Albert
Prince Albert (the spouse of Queen Victoria) also had simple tastes in flowers. The very first spring bulb to poke its head through the snow was his favorite—the humble snowdrop. The delicate beauty of these tiny flowers always gladdens the heart after a long winter, hinting at the new life about to burst out in spring.
Princess Charlotte
At just three years old, it’s unlikely that Princess Charlotte will already have a favorite flower. But she does already have a flower named in her honor. Presented to the world in 2016, this chrysanthemum in pastel shades of green and pink, is bound to become a hit in many British gardens, and will perhaps become Princess Charlotte’s favorite flower in time.
