Meghan kept a royal tradition in her wedding bouquet(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth's wedding bouquet had sweet tribute followed by Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle

Royals who have recently tied the knot, including Meghan and Kate, have followed tradition and included flowers or plants which previous members of the family have carried before

by · The Mirror

A wedding bouquet belonging to Queen Elizabeth started a royal tribute which was later adopted by Princesses Kate and Meghan.

The late monarch kept several key traditions regarding her outfit which she knew would be seen by millions of people. Her dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and featured embroidery work with floral themes inspired by Botticelli's Primavera painting. Her dress was made of best of British fabrics and makers and included Duchesse satin which was ordered from a company near Dunfermline, Fife and silk which was produced in Kent.

The Express reports it included a staple royal tradition within her wedding bouquet - a sprig of myrtle. Myrtle was also presented to Queen Victoria by her husband Prince Albert's grandmother in the 1800s. And the royal couple brought it back from Germany and planted it in the gardens of their Isle of Wight home, Osborne House, where it continues to flourish.

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, kept royal traditions in her wedding flowers( Image: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth kept a staple royal tradition in her wedding bouquet with the inclusion of a sprig of myrtle( Image: Getty Images)

The Royal Collection Trust website explains about the Queen's wedding flowers: "The bride's bouquet, offered to the Princess by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, was made with white Cattleya, Odontoglossum and Cypripedium orchids. Myrtle was added from the bush grown from a sprig of the bouquet of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, the Princess Royal."

Royal brides have kept the tradition and included myrtle in their bouquets. They include the Queen, Princess Diana, Kate, Princess of Wales and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice also carried myrtle in their wedding bouquets in 2018 and 2020 respectively. Other blooms in a royal wedding bouquet are often chosen by the bride and groom based on the language of flowers and for sentimental reasons. Kate, Princess of Wales used 'Sweet William' in her bouquet in tribute to her husband-to-be.

Tradition by Royal couples has been inherited by those before them( Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex carried a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots which were handpicked by Prince Harry from their private garden. They were the favourite flower of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. Meghan's bouquet also included myrtle from a bush started from the sprig in the Queen's wedding bouquet. Princess Eugenie carried a lily of the valley, the late Queen's favourite flower and ivy perhaps in tribute to her home with husband Jack Brooksbank, Ivy Cottage Princess Beatrice chose a blushing pink bouquet which included trailing jasmine, sweetpeas and blooming roses.

Royal brides also follow the tradition of leaving their wedding bouquets at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey after their ceremonies. Princess Eugenie's bouquet contained an evergreen shrub plucked from the private retreat of Queen Victoria. The floral arrangement is said to have included myrtle sprigs from the terraced walls of Osborne House where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert lived.