Prince William and Princess Kate's florist to meet Princess Anne at Windsor

The Princess Royal is beginning 2026 with a busy start to work
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Prince William and Princess Kate's florist is set to meet Princess Anne at Windsor today.
Shane Connolly, the florist responsible for the spectacular floral displays at the Prince and Princess of Wales's 2011 wedding, is being honoured with an MBE at Windsor Castle by the Princess Royal.
The award recognises his contributions to sustainable floristry over many years.
Mr Connolly's work for the Royal Family spans two decades, beginning with the blessing ceremony for King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor in 2005.

Prince William and Princess Kate's florist to meet Princess Anne at Windsor
|GETTY
His most celebrated commission saw Westminster Abbey transformed into a woodland setting for William and Kate's nuptials, featuring towering English trees lining the historic church's aisle.
The arrangement featured six field maples alongside two hornbeams, creating an avenue effect that celebrated the couple's shared passion for the English countryside.
Mr Connolly explained that every element came from royal estates, was English in origin, and reflected the season, with Kate requesting entirely neutral tones throughout.
"The aim is that the abbey looks unpretentious and simple and natural and that it reflects the fact that Catherine is a country girl at heart and that the couple are the best of British," he said at the time.

Shane Connolly assembling the arrangements at the Coronation
|GETTY
The bride's shield-shaped bouquet incorporated traditional myrtle, lily of the valley, ivy, hyacinth and sweet William, the latter a tribute to her groom.
Mr Connolly returned to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation in May 2023, where he incorporated blooms beloved by the King and Queen.
The service featured more than 120 flower varieties, among them lily of the valley and auriculas from Camilla's wedding bouquet, plus hellebores that had appeared in the King's buttonhole on his wedding day and remain a particular favourite.
Branches from flowering shrubs and trees sourced from the five Royal Horticultural Society gardens decorated the High Altar.

Queen Camilla and Shane Connolly pictured in 2018
|PA
These included cuttings from a pair of Dawyck beech trees that the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had planted together at RHS Wisley in 1978.
Queen Camilla expressed her admiration for Mr Connolly's Coronation arrangements when she encountered him at London's Garden Museum the following month.
She told him: "They were so beautiful," before joking: "I didn't have a lot of chance to look at them."

Shane Connolly at Windsor Great Park, where many of the flowers and plants for Westminster Abbey were sourced before the wedding between Prince William and Kate
|PA
Beyond royal ceremonies, Mr Connolly has created floral tributes for the funerals of the Queen's father, Bruce Shand, and her brother, Mark Shand.
The florist previously held royal warrants from both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the former Prince of Wales.
In 2024, he received fresh royal warrants from both the King and Queen, cementing his position as the monarchy's preferred floral designer.









