This evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a grand reception at Buckingham Palace to welcome newly elected Members of Parliament and recently appointed Members of the House of Lords.
The event marked a significant moment in British political life following the general election in July 2024, which saw a record-breaking 335 new MPs enter Westminster – surpassing the previous high of 327 set during the 1945 election.
Accompanying Their Majesties for the occasion were The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who have stepped up in the last 12 months whilst The King and Princess of Wales have had to undergo treatment for Cancer.
Today’s reception was held in the opulent State Ballroom of the Palace, where hundreds of politicians and peers gathered to meet the Royals.
Among the notable moments of the evening was a charming exchange between King Charles and Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling, who is registered blind. The King was particularly taken with Mr. Darling’s guide dog, Jennie, warmly scratching her on the head and commenting, ‘these wonderful dogs’. He then playfully asked, ‘she knows her way round the house, does she?’
Mr. Darling responded with a smile, saying, ‘she knows the best place to go for sausages’, prompting the King to laugh and point. Continuing the lighthearted conversation, Charles inquired, ‘is the food there not too bad?’ to which Mr. Darling replied, ‘for her, it’s her favourite.’
The Duchess of Edinburgh, a longtime advocate for vision-impaired individuals and the Patron of Guide Dogs since 2021, also took an immediate interest in Jennie. She crouched down to affectionately pat the golden retriever, telling her with a smile, ‘I’m your patron’. Jennie basked in the attention as Sophie and other guests admired her.
Queen Camilla, known for her dedication to various social causes, engaged in conversations with MPs and peers throughout the evening. Former Prime Minister Theresa May, now Baroness May of Maidenhead, was among those who spoke with the Queen. The two share a longstanding interest in tackling domestic violence, a cause they have both worked on extensively, with the former Prime Minister featuring in Camilla’s documentary on domestic violence last year. While Camilla remained in one area of the ballroom for most of the evening, a steady stream of politicians queued to speak with her.
Among the guests was Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who attended a similar reception in 1999 when he was first elected as an MEP. He spoke highly of The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, recognising their contributions to royal duties. ‘They are charming, they do a lot of heavy lifting because there’s one or two gaps out there. It’s been a difficult few years,’ Farage remarked, seemingly alluding to the changing dynamics within the Royal Family.
Throughout the evening, multiple MPs expressed their surprise at King Charles’s detailed knowledge of their constituencies. One such moment came when newly elected Labour MP for Ealing Southall, Deirdre Costigan, shared an amusing anecdote about the King’s culinary preferences. ‘I said, I’m from Ealing Southall, and straight away, he knew it was Little India. He talked about his love of curries,’ she recalled. However, she added with a laugh that Charles prefers his curries mild, saying, ‘he doesn’t like them too strong’.

The King and Queen with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. (Royal Family)
The reception took place on the same day that Buckingham Palace announced the birth of Princess Beatrice and Edo’s second child together. The couple welcomed a daughter, named Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, who was born on 22nd January.
This reception served as a key moment in fostering engagement between the Monarchy and Britain’s political leaders, reinforcing the traditional yet evolving role of the Crown in national affairs.