This is what happens to the flowers the royals are given when out on engagements

What happens to the flowers the Queen is given, or Kate receives, after they’ve completed a royal walkabout? We found out…

The exact number of bouquets gifted to the royal family each year is not known, but it could well be near a thousand!

The Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex carried out hundreds of official engagements each year.

And on each of these occasions, the members of royal family are often gifted with a bunch of flowers on arrival – or many if they stop to speak to members of the public during the day!

The part of the day where the royals chat to those outside waiting to greet them is called a ‘royal walkabout’. The walkabout gives the members of the royal family a chance to chat to those who have been waiting patiently for long periods of time to say hello – and is known to be one of Kate’s favourite parts of the day!

Although the Duchess admitted that when she took part in her first ‘royal walkabout’ she was incredibly nervous, she now gets more involved than any other royal in meet and greets. She once revealed that she thought there was “a real art to walkabouts”. Kate also admitted that she had “a lot to learn” from Prince William and other royals before she perfected the art.

However, now Kate is teased by other members of the royal family for the amount of time she spends greeting those waiting to meet her. “Everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting” the Duchess revealed.

During a ‘royal walkabout’, the royal family members are often presented with pretty flowers of sweet gifts by members of the public. But what happens to the flowers the Queen is given, or Kate receives, after they’ve completed the walkabout?

“They’re always reused”

Well, those close to the royal family have revealed that the flowers often end up going to churches or charitable organisations at the end of the day.

“The [gifts] are often given away to the different charities that they’re highlighting,” said Keith Roy with the Monarchist League of Canada.

The Duchess of Cambridge is known to occasionally keep beautiful bunches of flowers to take home to Anmer Hall.

However, even though Kate and the Queen can’t take all the flowers they receive home, the flowers and gifts never go to waste.

“Sometimes they’ll go to churches throughout the community” Keith continues.

“But they’re always reused and given away somewhere.”