Queen Victoria’s Wedding Bouquet and the Legend of the Royal Myrtles
The Fulham Palace gardens, called amongst the most important in England, are a combination of woodlands, meadows, lawns, and an enchanted eighteenth century walled garden with a wisteria pergola. Watching over this lush garden setting like regal goddesses, royal myrtle bushes are reminders of Queen Victoria’s wedding legacy of devoted love. The young Princess, then, Queen Victoria was sensitive to the language of flowers and plants as well as to the magic and power of their fragrances. Her attention to detail when planning her wedding set many bridal customs in place that remain dear to us today, but did the twenty year-old bride know that the myrtle in her bouquet would help continue such a botanical legend?
History of Wedding Orange Blossoms
Through the centuries, brides have always worn some form of headdress during the wedding ceremony. Of all bridal customs and traditions, wearing a circlet, wreath or coronet of flowers or greenery on the head during the wedding ceremony is the one that seems to best represent the bridal legend, and be the most consistent. But it was Queen Victoria who created the vogue for the sweet smelling blossoms when she wore them in a grand wreath for her 1840 wedding, and the classic floral theme for the Victorian bride was set. The very influential etiquette journals of the 19th century dictated that every bride include the blossoms in her wedding.
Victorian Wedding - Make It Your Dream
iscover the romance of a Victorian wedding. Explore Victoriana Magazine wedding pages for all the resources needed for wedding planning. See Victorian wedding dresses and a gallery of wedding photography. Read about 19th century engagement traditions and bridal customs. Find ideas for wedding rings, wedding photography and wedding favors. Everything needed for a romantic Victorian wedding theme!
Victoria & Albert: Art & Love
This exhibition is the first ever to focus on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s shared enthusiasm for art. Bringing together more than 400 items from the Royal Collection, it celebrates the royal couple’s mutual delight in collecting and displaying works of art, from the time of their engagement in 1839 to the Prince’s untimely death in 1861. The exhibition also challenges thepopular image of Victoria – the melancholy widow of 40 years – and reveals her as a passionate and open-minded young woman.
Give your wedding dress the royal treatment…
The 10,000 items in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection are given the best possible care, to ensure that they survive for many more generations to come. In caring for your own precious textiles, such as a wedding gown, it is important to apply the same basic principles to make sure no damage occurs. |