Thanabotany in Modern Day: Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral
The utilization of plants to help support funerary rituals and mourning is not something only done in the past—it is very much alive and well in modern day.
The recent death of Queen Elizabeth II resulted in an extensive funerary ritual as well as public-facing events by the bereaved, many of which were peppered with a variety of vascular plants all chosen because of the meaning imbued within them. Let’s talk about two thanabotanical moments!
Sweet Pea • Lathyrus odoratus
As shared by the Royal Family’s Twitter account (source cited below), King Charles’ had a posy (a small bouquet of flowers in a vase) placed prominently on the desk from which he gave his remarks. In the vase were rosemary and sweet pea.
The article “Rosemary for Remembrance and Queen’s Corgi Vase Feature in King’s Address” published by The National Wales stated the following:
“And on the right, delicate white sweet peas set with sprigs of rosemary – the herb a traditional symbol of remembrance – were placed in memory of Elizabeth II.”
The sweet pea was Queen Elizabeth’s birth flower, and reportedly one of her favorites.
Rosemary • Salvia rosmarinus
Rosemary has long been associated with remembrance, and there are major United Kingdom thanabotanical connections at play here. First, between the Welsh and their historical use of rosemary covering fresh graves, and second, Shakespeare’s repeated mention of rosemary for remembrance.
In the text “Flowers and Their Associations” by Anne Pratt, published in 1846, she writes:
In South Wales, it is yet common for those who accompany the burial to catch each a sprig of rosemary or yew, which, when the body is laid in its last resting-place, they strew over the coffin. In may parts of Wales, it is customary to plant the graves with shrubs and flowers. The nearest female relative of the dead, whether she be widow, mother, or sister, employs some poor person, as near as possible in age to the departed, and of the same sex, to the keep the tomb strewed over with plants for several weeks, and to set slips of the mournful rosemary, or other suitable shrubs.
Later in the book, she continues:
The rosemary (Rosmarinus) was formerly considered very ornamental. Its silvery foliage often covered the walls of the garden, when the clipped yew and box stood upon the terrace. In the days of Elizabeth it grew all over the walls of the gardens of Hampton Court.
Shakespeare also referenced rosemary in multiple texts, this one from A Handful of Pleasant Delights published in 1584:
Rosemary is for remembrance
Between us day and night
Wishing that I might always have
you present in my sigh.
And when I cannot have
As I have said before
Then cupid with his deadly dart
Doth wound my heart full sore
Myrtle • Myrtus communis
Myrtle has a centuries old thanabotanical connection much like rosemary. From the text Plants of Life, Plants of Death by Frederick J. Simoons published in 1998, the author writes of the Pythagoreans:
“When Pythagoreans burned their dead, they placed them on leaves of black poplar, olive, myrtle—trees sacred to underworld deities.”
As for the reason behind it’s use on Queen Elizabeth II’s casket, the article “Wreath Placed on Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Features Flowers From Her 1947 Wedding” published by Yahoo News states the following:
“The flowers were selected by her son King Charles III…This includes foliage chosen for its symbolism: Rosemary for remembrance; Myrtle, the ancient symbol of a happy marriage, and cut from a plant that was grown from a sprig of myrtle in Her Late Majesty’s wedding bouquet in 1947…”
English Oak • Quercus robur
English Oak was included in her casket wreath as well, symbolizing the strength of love according to the Royal Family. The casket wreath itself was also constructed of oak branches and English moss.
The oak has long been associated with wisdom, knowledge and longevity which is why it so often appears at funerals and on headstones.
With regard to headstones, the appearance of oak leaves indicates the old age of the person buried there. (Vigil 1999) It’s easy to understand why the oak was used in this context as Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in history.
While not a comprehensive article, this should introduce you to an example of thanabotany in a modern context. It is exciting to see thanabotany in real life, and to see the connections that still remain between our past, and our present.
NOTE:
Thanabotany and Thanabotanist are trademarks of Cole Imperi and the School of American Thanatology.
Bibliography:
“Lathyrus Odoratus or Sweet Pea.” n.d. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria Detailed Collection Record Information. Accessed September 21, 2022. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=4379949.
“Myrtus Communis or Myrtle.” n.d. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria. Accessed September 21, 2022. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/imagelib/imgdetails.php?imgid=17199.
“Quercus Robur or English Oak.” n.d. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria Detailed Collection Record Information. Accessed September 21, 2022. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=11036480.
“Rosemary for Remembrance and Queen’s Corgi Vase Feature in King’s Address.” n.d. The National Wales. Accessed September 21, 2022. https://www.thenational.wales/news/21254626.rosemary-remembrance-queens-corgi-vase-feature-kings-address/.
The Royal Family [@RoyalFamily]. 2022. “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. Https://T.Co/5RteIWahuW.” Tweet. Twitter. https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1571805807196655617.
“Wreath Placed on Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Features Flowers From Her 1947 Wedding.” n.d. Yahoo News. Accessed September 21, 2022. https://news.yahoo.com/wreath-placed-queen-elizabeth-casket-150610539.html.
Simoons, Frederick J. 1998. Plants of Life, Plants of Death. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press.
Vigil, Vicki Blum. 1999. Cleveland Cemeteries: Stone, Symbols & Stories. Cleveland, Ohio: Gray.
