Prince Charles And Princess Diana’s Much-Loved Flowers And Their Symbolism

Prince Charles is known to have quite the green thumb, which is evident when we look at his thirty year-long devotion to the Royal Gardens at Highgrove. The Prince has recently disclosed his personal favorite flower- delphiniums. In a conversation with BBC Radio 4, Prince Charles described his passion for the flower, “There’s something about those Edwardian watercolors…the magnificent, gloriously appareled delphinium, with its impeccable bearing and massed in platoons, holds pride of place in botanical affections.” Delphinium gets its roots from the Greek language. “Delphis” means dolphin and the shape of the flower’s closed buds bear resemblance to a dolphin’s nose.

The prince’s favored vibrant purple or pink tinted flower comes in about roughly 300 varieties. The Royal Horticulture society praises Delphinium as “the ultimate early summer perennial.” The flower is said to symbolize a willingness to explore new experiences and encourage positivity. Delphiniums stir up feelings of fun, tenderness and ecstasy. They are ideal as gifts to those feeling lost in life, as they may be inspired to step outside their comfort zone and experience life in a new light. Along with encouragement, remembering love ones who have passed is a secondary meaning delphiniums hold.

Delphinium is the official birth flower for July, and it just so happens that Princess Diana, the prince’s late wife, was born on July 1, 1961. The couple married on July 29, 1981, making the month of July particularly special. Despite Princess Diana’s tragic and untimely passing, Prince Charles humbly continues to pay his respects to the woman who supported him for so many years through delphiniums.

Like the Prince, late Princess Diana was also known to have a favorite flower of her own: forget-me-nots. Many thought of her choice as curious since forget-me-nots are perennials, often used as filler between more prominent flowers. But a deeper connection existed between Princess Diana and her favored forget-me-nots.

In a conversation with The Telegraph, the head gardener at the palace from 1984 to 1992, Graham Dillamore revealed the Princess’s preferences, “…there were certain colors she liked in the garden: soft pinks, whites, yellows, pastel shades. She used to turn her nose up if I ever put red or deep purple flowers.” Charles, Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s younger brother, gifted some forget-me-nots to her during their childhood years. The flowers had held a special place in the Princess’s heart ever since.

Mr. Spencer pays homage to his beloved sister by dedicating the Round Oval, a lake on the Spencer property where the family used to ice-skate during winter, to Diana’s memory. Designer Edward Bulmer created a monument which sits at the lake, with a plaque showing Diana adorned with roses and forget-me-nots- a fitting effort to memorialize her kindred and charming spirit.