May 21 (UPI) — The flowers that decorated St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for Saturday’s royal wedding were donated to a London hospice Sunday.
St. Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney shared a photo of patient and former embroiderer Pauline Clayton holding a bouquet of the flowers as they thanked the newly wed royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as well as florist Philippa Craddock.
“Today we got a very special delivery. Beautiful bouquets made from the #royalwedding flowers which we gave to our patients,” the hospice said. “Our hospice smells and looks gorgeous. Such a lovely gesture.”
The flowers included branches of beech, birch and hornbeam as well as foxgloves and peonies, which were taken from the gardens and parklands of The Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park.
“The flowers are simply stunning and our patients were both surprised and delighted to receive them,” chief executive of the hospice Nigel Harding told the BBC.
Clayton, 89, was especially excited to receive the royal wedding memento. She worked for royal dressmaker Norman Hartnell to help embroider the 15-foot train of Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress when she was 19.
“I really liked working for the Queen Mother and I helped to make many of her dresses during my 20-year career with Norman Hartnell,” she said. “With my royal connections it’s such a lovely coincidence to be at St Joseph’s and receive these wedding flowers. They are beautiful and very special.”
