London: King Charles asks for ‘sustainable flowers’ at Buckingham Palace

King Charles requested flowers from the lush gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for his first State Banquet tonight.

The monarch ordered “sustainable” flowers for the occasion.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed it was the King’s decision to go ahead with the green-fingered application.

They said: “They are all seasonal and come from the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor. They weren’t flown in from all over the world.”

Meanwhile, crab apples – a collector’s delight – were being brought all the way from Kent for the banquet.

Foliage included variegated ivy, drooping green ivy, flowering viburnum, mahonia japonica and berry cotoneaster.

At the start of the two-day trip, the monarch, along with the Queen Consort, welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at Horse Guards Parade in London.

The grand horseshoe-shaped table in the palace ballroom was set for 163 people and decorated with sustainable flowers personally requested by His Majesty.

Charles and Camilla followed the late Queen’s tradition of inspecting the table to ensure everything was in order before the evening event in honor of Mr Ramaphosa.

The table at the event was adorned with 23 large flower arrangements in silver gilded centrepieces.

Cyclamen, nerines, rose hips, anemones, amaryllis, chrysanthemum blossoms and hydrangeas made up the elaborate exhibition.

The king and queen are said to have been “involved in every aspect of the state visit”.

The table was also adorned with more than 100 ivory-colored candles in silver-gilt candelabra, with dates, pineapples, grapes and pears.

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