The royal party season kicked off in style today, as The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Royal hosted the first Garden Party of 2022 at Buckingham Palace.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garden Parties have not been held since 2019, but around 8,000 guests were in attendance today at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace stated last week The Queen would not be attending any garden parties, but instead would be represented by other members of the Royal Family.
The Queen, who is 96 and recently encountered mobility problems, has cut back on several engagements in recent months. It would mean she would have to stand for more than an hour and moves down lines to speak to guests.
She pulled out of opening the State Opening of Parliament yesterday, and instead was represented by The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge as her Counsellors of State.
As it rained, Prince Charles, Camilla and Princess Anne spoke to a variety of people in attendance at today’s party, including representatives from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Macmillan Cancer Support.
The future King also met individuals from the Turquoise Mountain charity, as well as those from the Prince’s Trust.
Today’s guests included England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty and 11-year-old Tobias Weller, who is also known as Captain Tobias, for mimicking Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts.
Guests were able to enjoy some musical entertainment from military bands, as well as tea and cakes from the palace kitchens.
Prince Charles seemed in good spirits, a day after he read The Queen’s Speech, as did The Duchess of Cornwall, who wore a blue and white embroidered coat dress by Fiona Clare, with a hat by Philip Treacey; she also carried an umbrella for the damp afternoon.
Whilst, The Princess Royal chose to wear a red ensemble, which she paired with a khaki green fascinator and matching umbrella.
Traditionally, Her Majesty hosts three Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. Other garden parties will be carried out at Buckingham Palace on 18th and 25th May, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will be the venue on 29th June.
Garden Parties are used by Buckingham Palace as an opportunity for the Royal Family to recognise and reward public service, with guests nominated by a network of sponsors, including government departments and the Armed Forces.