The wreath of flowers will include many chosen specifically by King Charles III for his mother's funeral. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II takes place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19. You can see the full order of service here.
At the King's request, the wreath contains flowers and foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House. This includes foliage chosen for its symbolism:
- Rosemary for remembrance; Myrtle, the ancient symbol of a happy marriage, and cut from a plant that was grown from a sprig of myrtle in Her Late Majesty's wedding bouquet in 1947;
- English oak, which symbolises the strength of love;
- Scented pelargoniums; garden roses; autumnal hydrangea; sedum; dahlias; and scabious, all in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, to reflect the Royal Standard, on which it sits.
- Again at His Majesty's request, the wreath is made in a totally sustainable way, in a nest of English moss and oak branches, and without the use of floral foam.
Here’s all the music that has been chosen to celebrate the late Queen and her 70 years of service. Music will be sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal. The choirs will be led by Westminster Abbey’s Organist and Master of the Choristers James O’Donnell, and the organ will be played by the Abbey’s sub-organist, Peter Holder. Before the service Matthew Jorysz, assistant organist, will play a series of pieces:
- Fantasia of four parts: Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)
- Romanza (Symphony no 5 in D): Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
- Reliqui domum meum Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016)
- Meditation on ‘Brother James’s Air’ Harold Darke (1888–1976)
- Prelude on ‘Ecce jam noctis’ Op 157 no 3 Healey Willan (1880–1968)
- Psalm Prelude Set 1 no 2 Herbert Howells (1892–1983)
- In the Country Op 194 no 2 Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)
- Fantasy on ‘O Paradise’ Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003)
- Elegy Op 58 Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
- Andante espressivo (Sonata in G Op 28) Edward Elgar
- Sospiri Op 70 Edward Elgar arranged by Peter Holder (b 1990)
During the ceremony the congregation will join in singing three hymns; ‘The day Thou gavest Lord is ended’, ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’ and ‘Love Divine, All Loves Excelling’. With the congregation seated the choir will perform ‘My soul, there is a country’ by English composer Sir Hubert Parry.
Two new pieces written for the ceremony will also be performed by the choir; a setting of a text from the New Testament’s Epistle to the Romans by Sir James MacMillan and ‘Like as the Hart’, an unaccompanied musical setting of Psalm 42 from the Book of Common Prayer by British composer Judith Weir CBE. Near the end of the service the choir will sing the national anthem ‘God Save the King’ after a two-minute silence.
The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, will then play ‘Sleep, dearie, sleep’ a traditional Lament. When the coffin and procession leaves the church, Holder will then perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Fantasia in C minor’. After the ceremony 'Allegro maestoso (Sonata in G Op 28) by Edward Elgar will be played.
