‘Fun’ floral selection for Britain’s royal wedding

LONDON: Meghan Markle will walk down the aisle surrounded by peonies, foxgloves and white garden roses when the US actress marries Britain’s Prince Harry, Kensington Palace said Sunday.

Their May 19 wedding at Windsor Castle, west of London, will be filled with flowers that are naturally in bloom at that time of the year, Harry’s official residence said.

Floral designer Philippa Craddock said the happy couple worked closely with her on the planning. “The process has been highly collaborative, free-flowing, creative and fun,” she said. “Working with them has been an absolute pleasure.” The displays in St George’s Chapel will be created using locally sourced foliage, much of which will be taken from the gardens and parkland of Windsor Great Park and the Crown Estate lands held by the monarch — Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The sprays will include branches of beech, birch and hornbeam and reflect the wild and natural landscapes from which many of the plants will be drawn. “The final designs will represent them as a couple, which I always aim to achieve in my work, with local sourcing, seasonality and sustainability being at the forefront,” Craddock said. Former army officer Harry, 33, is fifth in line to the throne. He announced his engagement to 36-year-old Markle in November. They have since made several public appearances together. Some 600 people have been invited to the wedding, with 200 going on to a private evening party thrown by Harry’s father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.