Queen Elizabeth II: Flowers at Windsor to be removed

Park staff laid the public's floral tributes in the grounds of Windsor Castle for the day of Her Majesty's State Funeral

Floral tributes left as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle will be gathered for composting from Wednesday evening.

The flowers left by mourners were laid on the lawns of the castle by Royal Parks staff for Her Majesty's State Funeral on Monday.

The Crown Estate said they would be taken to a local composting centre, converted into soil enhancer and mulch and used across the royal estate.

Messages and cards will be stored.

Flowers and tributes left at Green Park and Hyde Park in central London are being left for the public to view "in the week following Her Majesty The Queen's funeral", according to the Royal Parks website.

Composting of flowers laid in the London parks "will start between one week and a fortnight after the date of the funeral", it added.

Windsor Castle is currently closed to the public and will reopen on 29 September.

Flowers and messages for the Queen were left at Royal Households by members of the public across the UK

Janet Davies, the owner of Stems Floral Design, in Windsor, sold flowers to people from Brighton, to Australia and America since the queen had died and said she had "never known anything like it".

"From the word go I said no cellophane, I knew the flowers would be taken to the castle grounds. It's something we need to look at, how flowers are wrapped in future", the florist of 40 years said.

The 64-year-old said the late queen loved scented blooms: "She valued seasonal flowers. I have signed a secrecy agreement but I have made bouquets for the queen".

Mrs Davies said the flowers left at the castle would "probably look beautiful" for some time yet. "They adapt to temperature and there's a lot of moisture in the air so they will last a little bit longer", she said.

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