Majesty confided that the honour went to lily of the valley. Apart from the fact that it was included in her coronation bouquet in 1953, it is not at all difficult to see why lily of the valley wove its way into the late Queen's heart. It has, after all, a certain modesty about its person. The flowers are nodding and seemingly rather shy-not flamboyant like others of the lily family and they are possessed of the most glorious scent.
Not that our late Queen was the only monarch to be associated with Convallaria majalis, nor the first. That distinction belongs to Charles IX of France, who, on May 1 in 1560 or 1561 (recollections may vary), was presented with a nosegay of lily of the valley to bring him luck. The King took it as an omen and, thereafter, every May Day, he would present small bunches of muguet to every lady of the court.
To this day, in France, May Day is Fête du Muguet, when small bunches of this succulent-leaved groundcover plant are presented by lovers to their innamorato.
This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of Country Life UK.
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