Meghan Markle v Kate Middleton wedding bouquet: Meaning of both brides' flowers compared
MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry are now husband and wife after a ceremony that took place in Windsor today. The details of the big day everyone’s been waiting for were slowly revealed throughout the day. But how did her bouquet compare with the one Kate Middleton had at her wedding?
Meghan Markle, 36, and Prince Harry, 33, were married in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle earlier today.
The actress looked stunning in a dress, veil and shoes designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy.
Many have also speculated over the tiara Meghan wore, suggesting she was wearing the Queen Mary’s Lozenge Bandeau tiara.
To complete her bridal look Meghan held a beautiful bouquet designed by florist Philippa Craddock.
Alongside the flowers’ sentimental values, Prince Harry handpicked blooms from their private garden at Kensington Palace to add to the bouquet.
But how did Meghan’s bouquet compare to the one Kate had during her wedding in 2011?
The actress’s bouquet included Forget-Me-Nots which were Diana, Princess of Wales’ favourite flower
Meghan’s bouquet
The actress’s bouquet included forget-me-nots which were Diana, Princess of Wales’ favourite flower.
According to the Royal website, the couple specifically chose them to be included in the bouquet to honour the memory of Harry’s late mum on the special day.
The design of the bouquet was small, and featured other delicate blooms such as scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle. These were all bound with a naturally dyed, raw silk ribbon.
The myrtle sprigs were from stems planted at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight by Queen Victoria in 1845, and from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.
GETTY
GETTY
GETTY
Kate’s bouquet
Both ladies’ bouquets were similar in many ways. The Duchess of Cambridge also had a small and subtle bouquet, which at the time, was considered very underrated in comparison with previous royal wedding flowers.
The overall look of Kate’s bouquet was very similar with Meghan’s, with the inclusion of freshly cut, seasonal blooms.
Lily-of-the-valley and myrtle were also featured in Kate’s, although she had the inclusion of Sweet William and hyacinth.
The flowers in both brides’ bouquets were not only picked for their appearance, but also each individual flower was selected for a specific reason.
GETTY
Each flower holds a hidden meaning:
Lily of the Valley
Also known as the May lily, it means ‘return to happiness’. It often symbolises chastity, purity, happiness, luck and humility.
Myrtle
It is royal tradition to include a sprig of myrtle in the wedding bouquet. The tradition started with Queen Victoria’s private 175 year old garden at Osborne House in the Isle of Wight. Myrtle can symbolise love and is the Hebrew emblem for marriage.
Sweet William
The flower represents gallantry and the promise of a smile, but it could also have been chosen for sharing the same name with Kate’s Prince William.