Royal wedding flowers donated to Hackney hospice patients - including one who embroidered the Queen’s wedding dress

Patients at St Joseph’s Hospice were thrilled to receive 50 stunning bouquets of flowers, made for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.

The flowers, designed by Philippa Craddock, were made into beautiful hand tied bouquets and delivered to the hospice in Mare Street yesterday.

The surprise gift brought back memories for 89-year-old Pauline Clayton who was just 19 when she helped embroider the 15 foot Boticelli-inspired train of Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress.

She said: “We were on rationing then, so we weren’t allowed to sew on any embellishments, so the train was embroidered. There were four of us girls working on it and we earned 49 and a half hours overtime doing that.

“I really liked working for the Queen Mother and I helped to make many of her dresses during my 20-year career with Norman Hartnell.

“With my royal connections it’s such a lovely coincidence to be at St Joseph’s and receive these wedding flowers. They are beautiful and very special.”