The Queen and the Flower Power— the Symbolic use of Plants in the Court of St. James's, United Kingdom

Abstract

In traditional societies, religious and political leaders often use elements from the surrounding ecosystems to symbolically affirm their power. This ethnobotanical research looks for a similar pattern of use in urbanized western societies. We selected the use of plants by Queen Elizabeth II as a case study due to her singular position as a political and religious leader. We analysed the use of plants in public ceremonies to study how they are symbolically linked to the renewal of traditions.