Memories of a Garden Party

I was honoured to receive an invitation to attend a Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

Luckily, on the 16th of May the weather was glorious, as we walked from Whitehall through to Horse Guards Parade, via St James’ Park and on to the Mall, with all the Union Jacks flying, taking in all the landmarks along the route to Buckingham Palace.

The atmosphere was electric, as there were many other attendees making their way along the Mall to the palace, all dressed in their finery, National dress and uniforms; some Black Cabs even beeped their horns and waved in support.

As we arrived there were hundreds of sightseers at the gates, and as we waited excitedly in a queue to enter the palace, they took the opportunity to capture images of us with what seemed like hundreds of camera clicks.

When we entered and before the party, we had an opportunity to tour the royal gardens, which were spectacularly colourful.

The Garden Party officially began when The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by other Members of the Royal Family, entered the garden and the National Anthem was played by one of the two military bands present, it was an emotional moment.

There were attendees from every walk of life, and every person we chatted with expressed how much they were enjoying this very special occasion.

We were fortunate enough to be in a position where we could see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh quite clearly; to be so near to them was a surreal moment and I remember thinking how vibrant, happy and beautiful the Queen looked.

It was one of the most memorable days in our lives, one that we will always cherish; the occasion was perfect in every way.