Six English field maple trees stood along the aisle of Westminster Abbey at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. More recently, these trees have been moved to Wales. This major move reflects the couple’s clear loyalty to their roots. It serves as a permanent tribute to the reserve and humility that characterized their wedding.
The trees, once the stars of what was a really impressive floral tribute, had towers of 20-25 feet. You’ll remember this spellbinding creation from celebrated floral artistic director Shane Connolly. After the wedding in 2011, the couple decided to clear out these native British trees from Westminster Abbey themselves. They subsequently donated the grown trees to Llwynywermod, once the residence of the late King Charles III.
A Symbolic Gesture
The couple chose English field maple trees to represent humility. This theme reverberated perfectly throughout William & Kate’s wedding. Shane Connolly emphasized this connection by stating, “The trees are field maples, which are a very English native tree, and the field maples symbolise reserve and humility.”
The couple decided to feature these trees in their wedding’s floral decor. This turn of decision illustrated their penchant for things which were seasonal, yet steeped in English tradition. Connolly noted, “The theme is that everything is from the estates, that everything is English, that everything is seasonal.”
Flourishing in New Grounds
Once planted at Llwynywermod the English field maple trees have grown successfully in their new environment. They now cast their shade over the exquisitely manicured and regularly relandscaped topiaried parterre-style garden – a testament to their growth, perseverance and adaptability. This change further highlights the lasting legacy of William and Kate’s wedding and deepens their connection to British plant life.
>King Charles is no longer the owner of Llwynywermod, having given up ownership in 2023. Through it all, our field maples have stood resolutely, linking us still to his old home where he once lived. They represent the royal couple’s journey together.
A Lasting Royal Connection
The impact of moving these trees is much more than a physical relocation. It is a potent reminder of the centuries-old bond between the royal family and the land they so deeply reverence. The trees serve as a strong symbol of William and Kate’s advocacy of their shared environmental values. They represent the irony of their deep disinterest in actually conserving British tradition.
The field maples are growing strong in their new home, they represent so much more than the couple’s new life. As Connolly remarked about the significance of different flora in weddings, “The hornbeams represent a resilience in the language of flowers, so we hope that the couple’s life is full of resilience and full of strong love.”