The sweet symbolism behind the flowers at the State Banquet

The flowers at the State Banquet on Tuesday night were a stunning display as the senior royals hosted President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa at Buckingham Palace.

• On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, the Royal Family hosted the President of South Africa at Buckingham Palace.
• In celebration of this state visit, senior royals attended a State Banquet in celebration of the President's arrival.
• In other royal news, King Charles’ sweet touch at home shows the Queen’s still very much in his thoughts

A State Banquet was hosted by King Charles, Queen consort Camilla Parker Bowles, and other senior royals in London on Tuesday night. In celebration of this event, the Royal Family social media pages revealed the decadent flower displays that featured on the banquet tables. 

Previous posts about the preparations for the banquet received mixed reviews from fans as some called out the family for being tone-deaf for showcasing such opulence during a cost-of-living crisis in the UK. However, their posts about the flowers used at the banquet received positive reviews as royal fans noted the sustainable choices made by the Royal Family.

An announcement from the Royal Family explained that the flowers were not imported internationally, and all of the bouquets were sourced in the UK. "Final preparations are underway for tonight’s State Banquet. Arrangements featuring British-grown seasonal flowers will adorn the Ballroom," read the post.

It was then revealed that some of the flowers even grew in the royal gardens, meaning even less cost to the taxpayer and even more eco-friendly as the flowers traveled a shorter distance. "Foliage has been sourced from the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and crab apples in Kent," read the tweet.

The displays prominently featured cyclamen, anemones, amaryllis, nerines, rosehips, chrysanthemum blooms, and hydrangea. Chrysanthemums and rosehips are often used to symbolize love, anemones symbolize loss, and amaryllis symbolizes pride, strength, and determination. 

Another post revealed that the King and Queen consort undertook an important role that was once held by Queen Elizabeth II. This role was to inspect the table setting ahead of the dinner. "As final touches are made, The King and The Queen Consort inspect the table ahead of tonight’s State Banquet," revealed the post.

This was Charles' first State Banquet since becoming the King. Since the Queen's death, the King will have taken on a number of the roles that were previously performed by his mother. It has been well-established that the eco-friendly King prioritizes sustainability where possible, so it can be presumed that it was his decision to use locally sourced flowers for this ornate display at the palace.

Ahead of the State Banquet, the royals attended a ceremonial welcome at the Horse Guards Parade in celebration of the President's arrival. 

For this event, Kate Middleton teamed a fuchsia Emilia Wickstead dress with Princess Diana's pearl earrings and a classic Mulberry Bayswater clutch. The Princess also wore a stunning £336k Prince of Wales feathers brooch which had a sweet connection to the late Princess Diana.