The Queen’s hidden messages at Prince Philip’s memorial might not have been immediately noticed by royal fans, but they couldn’t have been more heartfelt.
- Her Majesty is understood to have been heavily involved in organising the important details for Prince Philip’s service of thanksgiving.
- It’s thought that this extended to the floral decorations at Westminster Abbey which could be seen to have several hidden messages.
- This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as the Queen’s strict royal family motto that Meghan Markle struggled with was revealed (opens in new tab).
The Queen was joined by many members of The Firm (opens in new tab) on March 29th as they all reflected on the extraordinary life and legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh. The Royal Family will soon mark the devastating first anniversary of Prince Philip’s death (opens in new tab) in April, but the London service was the perfect way to pay tribute to his service. The memorial included aspects Philip originally wanted for his funeral, before Covid-19 restrictions meant they weren’t possible.
According to the BBC (opens in new tab), the Queen helped plan the service to ensure it honoured her late husband’s wishes. And she even included hidden messages that many would’ve missed…
Despite speculation over whether the monarch would attend Philip’s memorial following her recent recovery from Covid-19, Her Majesty travelled from Windsor.
Unlike the funeral where the Queen “led by example” (opens in new tab) and sat alone, for the service her children and many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren all sat around her to support her.
And the memorial was made all the more meaningful given the small details, many of which would have been especially special for the monarch. Taking to Twitter on the day of the service, the official Westminster Abbey account shared sweet snaps of the flowers for the service.
These included roses, carnations, sea holly and dendrobium orchids. All the flowers were arranged in patriotic displays of red, white and blue shades, likely paying tribute to Philip’s long service as consort to the British monarch. And the Queen’s hidden messages didn’t stop there!
The caption revealed that orchids were a deeply personal choice as they formed part of the bouquet when the Queen and Prince Philip married in 1947. Whilst the sea holly is a wonderful way to mark the Duke’s naval career and love of the sea.
The choice of these flowers could be seen as the Queen showcasing her love for the Duke as well as celebrating their life together and 74-year marriage.
Although incredibly meaningful, the subtlety of the flowers’ messaging is also something that many might not have realised, making it all the more personal for the monarch.
Throughout the service the emotion of the occasion was clear for all to see and many fans were left heartbroken by the Queen’s teary moment (opens in new tab).
Her attendance marked her first in-person public appearance for many weeks and she had reportedly been eager to make it to pay her respects to her beloved “strength and stay”.