Here’s what will happen to all the flowers and tributes at Balmoral

By Kieran Beattie

September 13 2022, 11:45 am

Thousands of flowers were left in memory of the Queen at Balmoral after her death. Photo: Wullie Marr, September 9, 2022.

Thousands of flowers and tributes have been left at the gates of Balmoral in memory of the Queen, but what will happen to them?

Ever since the news broke on Thursday, mourners from all across the country have travelled to the royal family’s Aberdeenshire home to pay their respects.

Mourners arrived by the busload to Braemar to pay tribute with flowers and other mementoes. Photo: Wullie Marr, September 10, 2022.

A sea of floral tributes have been placed in Her Majesty’s memory, as well as cards, toys, flags, and even a homemade model corgi.

The homemade corgi was left among hundreds of other tributes. Photo: Kami Thomson, September 9, 2022.

But what will happen to all of these tributes, and how long will they be left at Balmoral?

A fitting use at Balmoral for the thousands of flowers

The Queen and the now-King Charles III planting a tree at Balmoral on October 1, 2021 to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Photo: PA Wire/Andrew Milligan.

To mark the Platinum Jubilee, Her Majesty joined her son Charles, now King Charles III, to plant a tree at Balmoral Estate last October.

The planting of the copper beech sapling in the castle grounds heralded the start of the Queen’s Green Canopy project that year.

The scheme encourages people to start their own tree-planting initiatives across the UK and “create a lasting legacy” for Her Majesty, and seeks to inspire younger generations to look after the nation’s forests.

The copper beech was planted next to a horse paddock by the royal mother and son pair. Photo: PA Wire/Andrew Milligan.

The royal tree-planters were joined by children from Crathie Primary School, who made a card for the Queen to mark the end of her summer break at Balmoral.

It is this tree, as well as other trees which were planted around Balmoral to mark the Jubilee, which will now benefit from the floral tributes left at the castle’s gates after the death of the beloved monarch.

As more and more mourners arrived, the blanket of flowers grew and grew at Balmoral. Photo: Kami Thomson, September 9, 2022.

All the flowers will be left in place until after the state funeral of the Queen on Monday, and afterwards they will be removed by Balmoral Estate staff, and turned into compost.

This compost will then be used to feed the trees planted around Balmoral, including the one planted by Her Majesty and King Charles III, as part of the Platinum Jubilee.

Members of the royal family took time to visit the floral tributes and read some of the cards. Photo: Wullie Marr, September 10, 2022.

What will happen to the other tributes?

As well as the flowers, all the other tributes at Balmoral will be left in place until after the funeral.

Aberdeenshire Council confirmed that all of the many cards and other tributes will be collected and archived “for the historic record”.

But when it comes to some of the larger or more unusual tributes left behind, such as cuddly toys or the homemade wicker corgi, it will be up to Balmoral Estate staff to decide.