“Since we are just across the street from Carnegie Hall and always have performers and artists  in residence, my first thought was that this was a tribute to one of them. It wasn’t until I got closer that I realized that these beautiful flowers were left at the Buckingham as a tribute to the Queen Mother.  Someone must have seen the ironic connection of the name of our hotel and Buckingham Palace and started the floral blizzard that followed!” Shapiro conjectures.

Buckingham Hotel 101W. 57th Street New York City, NY

In some incredible way, Shapiro explains, the Buckingham became a convenient symbol for those who work, shop, and visit museums and theatres in the area, to pay their respects to Britain’s Queen Mother. “We are both pleased and honored by the royal connection bestowed our hotel,” Shapiro notes.

Where are the flowers now?  “We had to remove them to keep the access to our entrance and the sidewalk on 57th Street clear.  We didn’t want to toss away this special memorial so we distributed the flowers to hospitals and nursing homes,” Shapiro explains.  “We felt honored that the Buckingham was chosen for these floral donations which  have moved on to brighten someone’s day as an added tribute to the Queen Mum.  We plan to post our own tribute on our website at www.buckinghamhotel.com,” Shapiro concludes.