Florists assure mourners they will ‘absolutely cope’ with demand

The British Florist Association said ‘the general feeling’ was that demand would be even higher than for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Floral tributes to the Queen outside Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, Northern Ireland ahead of a visit by King Charles III and the Queen Consort (PA) (PA Wire)

Florists have said that they will “absolutely cope” with what they expect to be record demand as mourners pay their respects to the Queen.

The British Florist Association (BFA) said demand had been “significantly high” over the last few days, adding that “the general feeling is that it will be higher than Princess Diana’s funeral”.

Although governing bodies were generally asking for tributes of white blooms, the public were instead happy to choose colourful bouquets to lay at palace gates and other designated areas, the BFA said.

Flowers left in St James’s Park, London, for the Queen (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

There is no “specific flower” for the Queen, but lily of the valley was one of her favourites, even appearing in her coronation bouquet.

Famous for their bell-shaped, fragrant blooms, the flowers have also been a permanent feature at the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

The BFA said flower prices were increasing, but added that they had started to rise even before the Queen’s death and this was to be expected with most blooms bought at auction.

Florists bought as many blooms as they could from English growers, but these were seasonal and in limited quantities and so the biggest supply came from the Netherlands – the location of the world’s largest flower auction.

It is thought demand could outstrip that seen after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

The BFA said: “The industry will absolutely cope with demand – it’s something we are used to doing individually on a daily basis for all our customers.”

It was not yet able to give sales figures but would be asking its members to report after the funeral.

It said: “Many people will buy flowers, both in large and small amounts, as it has always been a way to express sympathy and connect with others.

“A single flower can say a lot.

“Florists will use all the resources available to them in order to provide what their customers need. Flowers will be coming from across the UK where possible, Holland, Africa and South America.”