The Queen's hidden messages at Prince Philip's memorial you didn't spot

Queen Elizabeth II leaves by car after attending a Service of Thanksgiving for Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
(Image credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

The Queen was joined by many members of The Firm 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 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, 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…

The Royal Family and other attendees at a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip

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” 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.

Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day

Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images.

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.

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”. 

Emma Shacklock
Senior Lifestyle Writer

Emma is a Senior Lifestyle Writer with six years of experience working in digital publishing, ranging from book publishing to magazines. She currently looks after all things Lifestyle for Woman&Home, Goodto.com, and My Imperfect Life.