That really is so beautiful ^__^ It reminded me a little of Beauty and the Beast - Beauty wanting a rose over jewels. She appreciates the transitory beauty of roses and gives that beauty equal weight, despite the fact jewels have more monetary worth and would be more admired and envied by others.

I suppose Holmes wants to accept the honour from the queen, but he doesn't want the permanent title that would provoke jealousy or would make people feel they had to defer to him. The crown of flowers from the queen's own garden is a lovely symbol of the honour and even though the flowers will fade, Holmes will always keep the memory of that honour inside. The honour is for him a personal reward to be shared with close friends and family, not something to give him high social status.