The significance of the floral arrangement on top of HM Queen Elizabeth II‘s coffin has been revealed, as well as the words written on the “loving” note placed in the centre.
The nation bid a final farewell to our longest-reigning monarch at a State Funeral today.
Around 2,000 guests attended the official service at Westminster Abbey, including world leaders representing nearly 200 countries and territories, 500 foreign dignitaries – such as politicians, civil servants, and some celebrities – and many ordinary members of the public selected for charitable or community works.
Tens of thousands of mourners also travelled to London and Windsor for the State Funeral and burial service, and many more were seen gathering at different hubs across the UK to watch the historic event in real-time.
Queen Elizabeth II’s children – including the newly-ascended King Charles III and Queen Consort – were in attendance, as were her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other extended family members.
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The service concluded with a two-minute silence observed by the nation.
Now, it has been revealed why the floral arrangement placed on top of the Queen’s coffin is so significant and sentimental to her and the Royal Family, as well as what the message written on the card placed within the flowers reads.
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HM Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral took place at Westminster Abbey today / Credit: The Royal Family
The millions of people watching the State Funeral broadcast live will have seen the colourful wreath of flowers siting on top of Her Majesty’s coffin, along with the Royal Standard flag, and the Queen’s crown, orb and sceptre.
The wreath was made completely sustainably, upon King Charles III’s request.
The Royal Family has revealed that, also upon the King’s request, the floral wreath includes myrtle flowers which have been grown from a sprig of the Queen’s wedding bouquet when she married Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh back in 1947.
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The wreath also features foliage of rosemary, which is an ancient symbol of remembrance, and English Oak, which is a national symbol of strength.
The nation came together to commemorate the life of our longest-reigning monarch / Credit: The Royal Family
Flowers cut from the gardens of the Balmoral estate – the Scottish castle where the Queen spent much of her time including her final days before her passing – also feature prominently in the arrangement, and these include the Queen’s favourite flower, the sweet pea, as well as dahlias, phlox, white heather, and pine fir.
Many of these floral tributes also hold a poignant tribute to the Queen’s relationship with her late husband.
Dahlia flowers symbolise a lasting bond and lifelong commitment between two people, while sweet peas are associated with departures and goodbyes, as well as being the birth flower of April – which was the Queen’s birth month.
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At The King's request, the wreath contains foliage of Rosemary, English Oak and Myrtle (cut from a plant grown from Myrtle in The Queen's wedding bouquet) and flowers, in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, cut from the gardens of Royal Residences. pic.twitter.com/5RteIWahuW
Typical of many floral arrangements at funeral services, many spectators also noticed that there was a card with a tribute message was placed in the centre of the wreath, and the message written on the note has now been revealed and shared by the BBC on the live television broadcast.
The message on the note card was from King Charles III, and was said to simply read – “In loving and devoted memory, Charles R.”
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HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
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She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
Admired for her duty and dedication to the role, today her remarkable life was remembered by all.
Featured Image – The Royal Family (via Twitter)
News
‘Powerful’ firearms found in Stockport suburb as police search for answers
Danny Jones
Concerning news coming out of Stockport after two “incredibly powerful and dangerous” firearms were found in the Brinnington area of the town.
The weapons have been secured by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), but the nature of their discovery has drummed up plenty of questions among local authorities.
Stumbled upon this past Friday, 12 June, officers in Stockport found both a handgun and, even more shockingly, a submachine gun in simple rubbish bags.
The high calibre and fire rate of the respective weapons, specifically, have understandably added to the level of worry among police and residents alike.
As per an official GMP release, an MP5 model SMG and a ‘Grand Power’ handgun were uncovered, although the exact location of the ordnance has not yet been disclosed.
Troubling stuff, to say the least.
However, at present, they believe the attempt to conceal and/or dispose of the weapons is likely a reaction to their ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity and remove dangerous weapons from the streets across the region.
Stopfordian sectors of the city-region are among many across the surrounding 10 boroughs, with Brinnington in particular seeing a more ramped-up level of searches.
Detective Inspector Mark Graham, leader of the SK Challenger Team, said: “We have done some fantastic work in recovering firearms in Greater Manchester – between April 2024 and April 2026 – GMP took 150 firearms off our streets.”
#Brinnington neighbourhood intensification operation sees multiple arrests and seizures
In the 2 weeks since our work began, we have secured 15 arrests for offences including possession with intent to supply, failing to appear at court, dangerous driving, & weapons offences. pic.twitter.com/zJS9QIYJTD
Nevertheless, he goes on to say that “Friday’s discovery has prevented potentially serious harm to those who work and live in the area”, adding in the full statement: “These types of weapons have no place on our streets and are incredibly powerful and dangerous.
“Our investigation is progressing, and we are following numerous lines of enquiry in relation to who these belong to and how they ended up where they did.”
As always, they are urging anyone with information about illegal firearms or suspicious activity in and around the Stockport region to contact police ASAP, either over the usual 101 number or by dialling 999 immediately in emergency situations.
If you would rather get in touch online, you can report potentially useful info via the live chat function on the GMP website, or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
19th September 2022 
