*Green Park's floral tributes to "Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II" - 20th Sept 2022

Of London’s 8 Royal Parks, the 40 acre Green Park is the smallest one.

It was opened as a public park by King Charles II – and is stuck in between the much larger Hyde Park and St. James’s Park – and it is unique in that it has no lakes – no flower beds – no buildings in it grounds – no playgrounds.

But what it does have the honour of over the past couple of weeks following the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – is being the location where hundreds of thousands of floral tributes and messages from people all over the world – who descended upon London to pay their respects to Her Late Majesty – have been placed out on display to the general public.

Green Park and designated areas within Hyde Park were the principal locations for the laying of floral tributes and messages – flowers that were initially laid outside Buckingham Palace, were moved (sensitively) next door to Green Park.

The day after Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, my London Shoes ventured off up to Green Park, to get some photos of its temporary, but unprecedented unique landscape – as the situation may never happen again.

Even though some of the floral tributes had been in situ for a few days – you could still smell the aroma from the flowers – and people were still visiting the Park and leaving new/fresh displays.

The lay-out of the thousands of flowers have been tastefully displayed, and you can amble for hours throughout the Park, checking out all the display sites – and reading the many thousands of messages, from all over the world – creating an atmosphere that was quiet, dignified and full of love.

What struck me, totally unexpectedly, was just how much love and respect the ‘little ones’ had for the Queen – and a grasp of what she was, and what her job was.

Shoes’ knows from its own grandchildren, that school children have learnt about the Queen and her Platinum Jubilee this year, at school – but their messages of love, respect and their clear understanding of what she was, and what her ‘job’ was – from children of all different social and ethnic and religious backgrounds – I personally found extremely moving and emotional – and I think ‘Her Maj’ would be very proud of her loyal little’uns.

The floral displays will remain in Green Park until next Monday 26^th Sept – one week following the State Funeral – at which time they will be gathered up and removed from the Park – and then used to compost London’s other Royal Parks.

All the written tributes and messages will be collected up and packaged, for storage in the archives of probably at Kensington Palace.

Unfortunately, London Shoes didn’t get the opportunity to be a physically capture any parts of the Laying in State or State Funeral processions/activities as they happened – but I was so glad that I managed to get up to the ‘smoke’ the day following the State Funeral, to at least experience and capture on camera, some of these unique scenes throughout Green Park – better late than never, I guess.

Hope you enjoy the photos.

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See below the full extensive gallery of photos taken to accompany this Blog

Me – exiting out of Green Park tube station. This exit leads directly into Green Park where all the thousands upon thousands of floral tributes can be found.