• King Charles III in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. PA
    King Charles III in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. PA
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the committal service. PA
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the committal service. PA
  • The hearse arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service. Getty Images
    The hearse arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service. Getty Images
  • Flowers are seen on the hearse as it arrives at Windsor Castle. AP
    Flowers are seen on the hearse as it arrives at Windsor Castle. AP
  • King Charles and Prince William join the procession in the Quadrangle inside Windsor Castle. AFP
    King Charles and Prince William join the procession in the Quadrangle inside Windsor Castle. AFP
  • The procession, led by the dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry, followed by massed Pipes and Drums of Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Grenadier Guards, arrives at Windsor Castle. Getty Images
    The procession, led by the dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry, followed by massed Pipes and Drums of Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Grenadier Guards, arrives at Windsor Castle. Getty Images
  • The hearse travels along the Long Walk as it makes its way to Windsor Castle. Reuters
    The hearse travels along the Long Walk as it makes its way to Windsor Castle. Reuters
  • The ceremonial procession travels down the Long Walk in Windsor. PA
    The ceremonial procession travels down the Long Walk in Windsor. PA
  • The hearse travels to Windsor. Reuters
    The hearse travels to Windsor. Reuters
  • The royal corgis await the cortege at Windsor Castle. Reuters
    The royal corgis await the cortege at Windsor Castle. Reuters
  • A member of the Coldstream Guards walks past flowers at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. AP
    A member of the Coldstream Guards walks past flowers at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. AP
  • A mourner throws a flower towards Queen Elizabeth's hearse as it is driven to Windsor from London. Reuters
    A mourner throws a flower towards Queen Elizabeth's hearse as it is driven to Windsor from London. Reuters
  • Members of the royal family pay their respects as the hearse carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in London. Reuters
    Members of the royal family pay their respects as the hearse carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in London. Reuters
  • The state gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Wellington Arch during the ceremonial procession following her state funeral. PA
    The state gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Wellington Arch during the ceremonial procession following her state funeral. PA
  • The funeral procession marches down The Mall following the service at Westminster Abbey. AP
    The funeral procession marches down The Mall following the service at Westminster Abbey. AP
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried from her state funeral at Westminster Abbey. PA
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried from her state funeral at Westminster Abbey. PA
  • King Charles walks with Princess Anne, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is pulled on a gun carriage through the streets of London following her funeral service. AP
    King Charles walks with Princess Anne, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is pulled on a gun carriage through the streets of London following her funeral service. AP
  • Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince George, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, stand outside Westminster Abbey after the funeral. PA
    Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince George, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, stand outside Westminster Abbey after the funeral. PA
  • Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects. AFP
    Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects. AFP
  • Mourners pause for two minutes' silence during the funeral service in London. Reuters
    Mourners pause for two minutes' silence during the funeral service in London. Reuters
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth, draped in a Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the sovereign's orb and sceptre, arrives in Westminster Abbey. AP
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth, draped in a Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the sovereign's orb and sceptre, arrives in Westminster Abbey. AP
  • Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Westminster Abbey. AP
    Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Westminster Abbey. AP
  • Members of the public watch the funeral from Horse Guards Road in London. PA
    Members of the public watch the funeral from Horse Guards Road in London. PA
  • Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaking during the funeral. PA
    Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaking during the funeral. PA
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into Westminster Abbey, followed by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for the state funeral in London. PA
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into Westminster Abbey, followed by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for the state funeral in London. PA
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey. Getty
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey. Getty
  • King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward arrive at Westminster Abbey. AFP
    King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward arrive at Westminster Abbey. AFP
  • Prince William and Prince Harry make their way to Westminster Abbey. PA
    Prince William and Prince Harry make their way to Westminster Abbey. PA
  • The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth through central London. PA
    The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth through central London. PA
  • Members of the public on the Mall become emotional during the funeral. PA
    Members of the public on the Mall become emotional during the funeral. PA
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on a gun carriage for her state funeral service in central London. AP
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on a gun carriage for her state funeral service in central London. AP
  • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth leaves Westminster Hall. AP
    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth leaves Westminster Hall. AP
  • The Yeoman of the Guard arrive in Westminster Abbey. AP
    The Yeoman of the Guard arrive in Westminster Abbey. AP
  • Guests take their seats inside Westminster Abbey in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth. AFP
    Guests take their seats inside Westminster Abbey in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth. AFP
  • The Royal Marines band marches to Westminster Abbey. Getty Images
    The Royal Marines band marches to Westminster Abbey. Getty Images
  • US President Joe Biden arrives for the funeral. PA
    US President Joe Biden arrives for the funeral. PA
  • French President Emanuel Macron and wife Brigitte walk into Westminster Abbey. PA
    French President Emanuel Macron and wife Brigitte walk into Westminster Abbey. PA
  • Metropolitan Police Officers walk in formation down The Mall in preparation for the state funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II. Getty
    Metropolitan Police Officers walk in formation down The Mall in preparation for the state funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II. Getty
  • A Pearly king and queen, who raise money for charity, on the procession route in London. AFP
    A Pearly king and queen, who raise money for charity, on the procession route in London. AFP
  • People line the funeral procession route. Getty
    People line the funeral procession route. Getty
  • Mourners take a moment to rest on The Mall in London. Reuters
    Mourners take a moment to rest on The Mall in London. Reuters
  • At 6.28am on the day of her funeral, the final members of the public pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth at the Palace of Westminster, London. PA
    At 6.28am on the day of her funeral, the final members of the public pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth at the Palace of Westminster, London. PA
  • London's Westminster Abbey on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
    London's Westminster Abbey on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
  • Black Rod, the House of Lords' senior figure, walks through Westminster Hall at 6.30am after paying her respects on the final day of the lying in state at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London. PA
    Black Rod, the House of Lords' senior figure, walks through Westminster Hall at 6.30am after paying her respects on the final day of the lying in state at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London. PA
  • Police on patrol in Whitehall before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. EPA
    Police on patrol in Whitehall before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. EPA
  • People in London camp during the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
    People in London camp during the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
  • Vehicles in the motorcade of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in London. Getty Images
    Vehicles in the motorcade of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in London. Getty Images
  • US President Joe Biden accompanied by the First Lady Jill Biden signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London. PA
    US President Joe Biden accompanied by the First Lady Jill Biden signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London. PA
  • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
    Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
  • The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (R) views the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall in London. Getty Images
    The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (R) views the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall in London. Getty Images
  • Oman's Sultan Haitham arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP
    Oman's Sultan Haitham arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP
  • Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and his wife May sign a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. PA
    Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and his wife May sign a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. PA

Lifestyle

What do the flowers in the wreath placed on Queen Elizabeth's coffin symbolise?

Flowers grown from the queen's wedding bouquet, signifying love, strength and commitment, were chosen

Farah Andrews
Farah Andrews

September 19, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

The flowers selected for the wreath on Queen Elizabeth II's coffin were requested by King Charles III.

Queen Elizabeth II dies — follow the latest news as the world mourns

Scroll through the gallery above for the latest images from the funeral

The wreath that adorns the queen's coffin was created to reflect the Royal Standard, according to The Telegraph.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptre, being carried into Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. AFP
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptre, being carried into Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. AFP

They were primarily cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House, and include roses, foliage of English oak and rosemary.

Rosemary was chosen as a traditional symbol of remembrance, along with myrtle, which was cut from a plant grown from the flowers in Queen Elizabeth II's wedding bouquet in 1947. Fragrant myrtle flowers are symbolic of love.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their wedding day in 1947. PA News
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their wedding day in 1947. PA News

The most easily identifiable flowers in the wreath are the roses, which were chosen in several colours. The light pink flowers are Queen Elizabeth II Roses, named to mark her platinum jubilee. Also visible are red roses, the national flower of England.

The Queen Elizabeth II Rose was named for the queen's platinum jubilee and displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2022. AP Photo
The Queen Elizabeth II Rose was named for the queen's platinum jubilee and displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2022. AP Photo

There is also English oak foliage, which symbolises the strength of love, as well as pelargoniums, which have connotations of friendship, happiness and positive emotions. Autumnal hydrangeas, sedums, dahlias and scabiouses are also present.

Hydrangeas symbolise purity, innocence and abundance; sedum flowers are symbols of peace, perseverance and calmness; dahlias represent beauty, commitment and kindness; and the scabious is a traditional mourning flower.

The combination of gold, pink and deep red are thought to have been chosen to reflect the Royal Standard.

Inside Westminster Abbey, the bouquets include Asiatic lilies and lily of the valley, a favourite flower of the queen, along with gladioli, alstroemeria, eustoma, weeping birch and sprigs of myrtle.

The wreath is placed on top of the coffin with the Imperial State Crown, and the Sovereign’s Orb and Sceptre.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

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Updated: September 19, 2022, 12:31 PM
Queen Elizabeth II