Garden Parties 2023
Published
To celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen, two Garden Parties will take place in the Buckingham Palace Garden in 2023, as well as one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
9 May 2023
The second Buckingham Palace Garden Party was hosted, on behalf of The King, by The Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness was joined by The Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
8,000 guests were welcomed to the garden in recognition of their public service and charity or community work.
3 May 2023
The first of the annual Garden Parties took place on 3 May 2023. It was hosted by The King and The Queen Consort, who were accompanied by The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent.
To celebrate the Coronation and with support from Her Majesty The Queen Consort, the Royal Voluntary Service launched the Coronation Champions Awards in February 2023 to recognise exceptional volunteers from across the country. The 500 volunteers selected as the nation’s Coronation Champions were invited to attend one of the official Coronation celebrations with many being invited to a Coronation Garden Party.
About Garden Parties
Established during the reign of Queen Victoria, Garden Parties are an important way for members of the Royal Family to speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community.
Throughout the country, a long established network of sponsors is used to invite guests, who include Lord-Lieutenants, Societies and Associations, Government Departments, Local Government, the Services, the Church and other Faiths. They nominate guests for invitation and we hope in this way to achieve a representative cross section of the community.
What happens at a Garden Party?
On the day of the Garden Party, the Palace gates are open from around 3pm. The Party officially begins when Members of the Royal Family enter the garden at 4pm, when the National Anthem is played by one of the two military bands present.
While the bands continue to play a selection of music, Members of the Royal Family circulate among the guests through 'lanes'. Each takes a different route and random presentations are made so that everyone has an equal chance of speaking to a Member of the Royal Family. Members of the Royal family then arrive at the Royal Tea Tent, where they meet further guests. Guests are free to eat, drink and stroll around the beautiful Palace gardens.
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