PREDICTION: What Flowers Will We See at King Charles III Coronation in May 2023?

Are you wondering what flowers we’ll see at King Charles III’s Coronation in May 2023?

Us too! Using our knowledge of the Royal Family and their botanical favourites, we’ve put together our (often accurate) predictions right here. Whether you’re simply curious or keen to celebrate our new monarch, certain flowers are sure to become symbols of this historic occasion — but which ones will make the cut?

What Flowers Will Feature at The King Charles III Coronation?

Let’s start with the King’s well-known favourite flowers.

When the Chelsea Flower Show went online due to COVID-19, members of the Royal Family took to Twitter to reveal their botanical preferences.

At the time, the King — who was still Prince Charles — revealed that his favourite bloom is the delphinium.

He said, “For me, the magnificent, gloriously appareled delphinium, with its impeccable bearing and massed in platoons, holds pride of place in my botanical affections.”

Delphiniums would certainly add colour to Coronation floral displays. Rising tall from the ground in an almost celestial fashion, we feel they would be a fitting symbol of Charles stepping up to the tasks ahead.

King Charles III is also a passionate environmentalist, so we’re curious to see how themes of nature and sustainability might be woven into the occasion.

At Highgrove, he created a wildflower meadow in the grounds — home to many rare species that, naturally, wouldn’t be cut for displays. But it’s possible that more common wildflowers could make an appearance.

Bluebells will be in season for the Coronation, and would bring a fresh, natural quality to any display.

Might we see primrose flowers add a pop of colour with their creamy yellow blooms? We hope so.

It’s also possible that alchemilla mollis will feature in the King’s Coronation flowers.

This perennial plant is a favourite of Queen Camilla, who loves its bright green foliage.

Alchemilla mollis also produces tiny yellow-green flowers, though it may be too early in the year for them to be present in time for the Coronation. Its scalloped leaves would still be a welcome feature of any display, providing a backdrop of beautiful foliage for colourful blooms to shine against.

Floral designers and Royal experts predict that lily of the valley will be a feature flower at the King’s Coronation.

Not only is it a popular flower in the UK in spring, but it’s been a longstanding favourite of the Royals for many generations — most notably of the King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The UK hasn’t had a Royal Coronation since 1953 — and this one promises to be a memorable occasion.

Given that he is now King of the United Kingdom, Charles may well want to pay homage to each of its nations through his choice of flowers.

The rose is the natural choice for England, carrying its heraldic weight since the Wars of the Roses, when the white rose represented the House of York and the red rose the House of Lancaster. Either colour would be a striking addition to the King’s Coronation displays.

The thistle is Scotland’s national flower, though the Coronation falls a little early in the year for it to be at its best. Instead, we’d suggest the possibility of the northern marsh orchid making an appearance — a striking bloom found in wildflower meadows across Scotland, with a significant presence in the Outer Hebrides.

These meadows owe a great deal to King Charles III, who called for the creation of at least one wildflower meadow in every county of the UK to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.

The daffodil, Wales’s national flower, is a familiar sight on St David’s Day, 1 March — and it could quite possibly appear at the King’s Coronation too. It would be an appropriate choice given that Charles was Prince of Wales before ascending to the throne, and his love for the Welsh countryside is widely documented.

The jonquilla daffodil is the most likely inclusion, as it flowers later than other varieties.

Most people associate the shamrock with Ireland, but flax is the emblem of Northern Ireland and the symbol of the Northern Ireland Assembly — a nod to Ulster’s historic linen industry. Given this symbolism, flax would be a considered and meaningful representation of Northern Ireland in the King’s Coronation flowers.

Uniting not only the UK but the Commonwealth through botanical symbolism would be a thoughtful way to reflect King Charles III’s commitment to fair representation.

In the wake of the Queen’s death, King Charles III will want to honour his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and pay tribute to her record-breaking reign. A touching way to do this would be through the flowers she loved most.

For more on Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite flowers, see our blog post:

REVEALED: The British Royal Family’s Favourite Flowers

Three flowers that featured in the Queen’s own Coronation bouquet in 1953 were white cattleya, odontoglossum, and cypripedium orchids — chosen to represent British colonies overseas.

One way that flowers will definitely feature in the King’s Coronation is as compost.

King Charles III has confirmed that flowers left as a mark of respect to his mother will be recycled as compost for tree planting — part of his wider Coronation celebrations.

When we heard this news, we were delighted. It reads almost as a signal from the King himself: that minimising waste matters in the Carolean era.

FUN FACT: At Blooming Haus, we do something similar. Each time we complete a design project, we arrange for a tree to be planted in the client’s name.

The King’s Coronation takes place on 6 May 2023, with a Bank Holiday to follow two days later on 8 May.

The venue is Westminster Abbey, and the Coronation Ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Queen Camilla.

The King’s Coronation will uphold Royal traditions, while experts expect it to be a shorter and more focused occasion than previous Coronations. Ancient and modern elements will likely sit side by side, keeping tradition alive while acknowledging the times.

As with other Royal celebrations, flowers are expected to play a central role. Those responsible for designing the displays will likely draw on in-season varieties from the Royal estates. For a guide to what’s in bloom in the UK in spring, see our journal:

Your Ultimate Guide To Spring Flowers In The UK

There is one bloom we at Blooming Haus are confidently counting on — lily of the valley.

Based in London, we’re expecting to see many businesses join in the occasion through standout floral displays and celebratory events.

If you’re a business owner in the city and have been inspired to start planning for this historic occasion, we’re here to help.