'Herb of Love' Not Forgotten at Royal Wedding
Feb. 15, 2011— -- It's said the Royal Wedding will be taking a modern turn, but one tradition Kate Middleton will not break when she walks down the aisle dates back to the 1840s: carrying myrtle in her wedding bouquet.
Queen Victoria planted the shrub, sometimes called the "herb of love," in her garden at the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight after her wedding to Prince Albert. And since then, royal brides have plucked a sprig from the same shrub planted over 170 years ago to carry with them on the big day, according to the Isle of Wight Gazette.
When then-Princess Elizabeth wed Prince Phillip in 1947, her bouquet was misplaced, forcing the couple to have their wedding photos shot again a week later, after a new bouquet was made. Just in case lightning struck twice, Diana had three identical bouquets made for her wedding to Prince Charles, each including a sprig of myrtle. There is no saying how many bouquets Kate will have made.
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