Prince George has taken a significant step on his path as a future king, joining his parents, The Prince and Princess of Wales, at a Buckingham Palace tea party honouring veterans and members of the World War II generation. The surprise appearance, took place following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, where George joined his siblings in watching the event.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a tea party hosted by The King, Patron of the Royal British Legion, and The Queen for veterans and members of the Second World War generation. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, the tea party welcomed around 50 guests, including a number of remarkable veterans and wartime survivors, supported by the Royal British Legion, of which Charles is Patron of. Veterans dined on a selection of sandwiches, scotch eggs and scones. Also on the menu was potted shrimps with brown bread and butter, egg and bacon quiche, vegetable pasties and sausage rolls, along with lemon and carrot cake, chocolate cake, treacle tarts and strawberries and cream.
Among the guests were a 98-year-old former prisoner of war, a 99-year-old Desert Rat who took part in the D-Day landings, and a 100-year-old woman who served in Churchill’s secret Special Operations Executive. The King expressed his deep appreciation, telling one veteran, ‘it’s so special to get you here on this sort of occasion. It’s the least we could do for you.’
His Majesty speaking to Veterans at the tea party. (Royal Family)
At the reception, William and George leaned in attentively as they engaged with guests, showing genuine interest in their stories. Photographers captured a heartfelt moment of George offering a respectful handshake to a veteran, while Princess Kate looked on with a warm smile.
Prince William revealed his son’s growing curiosity about history and heroism, telling one guest, 101-year-old Alfred Littlefield, that George is ‘very interested’ in learning about the experiences of those who served. After talking to the William and George, Alfred turned to the youngster said: “You know, it’s very important you are here today. It’s days like this that we should use to talk about things like this, so the younger generation can have some understanding.”
Another veteran, Dougie Hyde, 99, who served in the Merchant Navy during the war, recounted how George eagerly asked if he’d ever been shot at or seen a U-boat. After their talk, Dougie said: ‘I was very impressed with the lad’s interest. I told him luckily I wasn’t ever shot at but we did lose one of our fleet in the Channel. He was very polite and listened with interest. Whenever I used to do talks to young kids, that’s all you ever wanted, for them to listen and have a little understanding of those days. I think it’s so important for us to remember and they put on a lovely spread’.
The Princess of Wales also engaged in meaningful conversations, notably requesting a copy of a memoir from Margaret Wood, a wartime evacuee and author. “She asked for a copy,” Wood said, adding that the Princess related as a mother herself, joking with veterans: “He’s going to have to practise his shooting like you.”
Prince George and The Princess of Wales at the tea party. Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Veteran Norman Brown, 101, added a light-hearted moment to the afternoon, performing a magic trick for Queen Camilla – tying a string to her finger and whipping it away to her laughter. “I was dared to show the magic trick to the Queen, so I did it,” he said. “She loved it.”
The presence of Prince George was not only symbolic but also strategic – a rare solo moment for him at an official royal engagement. The young Prince carried out his first royal engagement when he and his parents visited the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016. It underscores the way The Prince and Princess of Wales are gently ushering their children into public life, helping them understand their future responsibilities through experience and empathy.
