Queen has “never counted” poppies in her Remembrance Day wreath

Thursday, November 8, 2012
8:18 AM

The Queen has revealed she does not know why her Remembrance Day wreath has 93 poppies each year.

The Queen watches an employee of The Poppy Factory making the iconic red emblem of the British Legion's annual poppy appeal. Picture: AFP PHOTO/Leon Neal

Brian Edwards, 45, who makes the royals’ poppy wreaths, asked the Queen about the number when she visited The Poppy Factory in Richmond yesterday.

She said she did not know, and added: “I’ve never counted.”

The Queen told Mr Edwards she would try to find out and let him know.

The royal wreaths use the same amount of poppies each year, although wreaths can take any number of poppies.

The Prince of Wales’s wreath always takes 156, and it is only the Queen’s which is made up of 93.

Mr Edwards, who has worked at the factory for 25 years, said: “The only solution we came up with together was that her father, the late king, was born in 1893 so it could be that.”

During her visit, the Queen met workers at the factory, and had a chance to make her own poppy.

She did not wear one for her visit but took her finished poppy with her, observing: “And it stayed together.”

The Queen met employee Frances West, 59, who was born on the Queen’s coronation in 1953, as well as her husband, who works with her.

Sara Jones, president of The Poppy Factory, said: “All the staff she spoke to were very appreciative of the fact she spoke to everyone.

“Several of them met her before when she visited here 20 years ago so that was nice.”

The Queen was greeted by a crowd of locals and received flowers and cards from several children.

One-year-old Nora Wake handed her a bouquet of red roses and geraniums with a hand-written message and picture of a poppy.

The Queen, who was already holding a poppy bouquet, said: “Thank you, it matches very well.”

She wore a lavender wool boucle Karl Ludwig coat with matching dress and a lilac Angela Kelly hat.

The Poppy Factory is the official poppy manufacturer and provides work for wounded or sick ex-Services personnel and disabled dependants of Services personnel.