Bride Harriet Sperling arrived at her wedding to Peter Phillips with a special tribute to Queen Elizabeth II nestled into her bouquet.
Lily-of-the-valley, a flower beloved by Peter’s late grandmother, featured in Harriet’s wedding bouquet. Speaking to The Telegraph, Millie Richardson, the couple’s florist, said it was important to the couple to have lily-of-the-valley amongst their flowers.
“Lily of the valley was definitely requested for its regal connotation,” she said. “Myrtle is a symbol of beauty, grace and love and was requested on the same basis. It’s always included in every royal wedding bouquet.”
A sprig of myrtle grown at Osbourne House, once the dwelling of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, has been included in every royal wedding bouquet since their daughter Victoria’s wedding in 1858.
Lily-of-the-valley was featured in both Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding bouquet from 1947 and her coronation bouquet in 1953.
Harriet’s three bridesmaids—her daughter Georgina, and her now-stepdaughters Savannah and Isla—also wore lily-of-the-valley in their hairpieces.
Richardson added that the girls’ bouquets also feature ‘Majolica’ spray roses and pale blue nigellas, as its one of Harriet’s favourite colours. “She loves the pale sky-blue tone.”
