King Charles and Queen Camilla host first Buckingham Palace garden party of the year

King Charles and Queen Camilla have mingled with thousands of guests inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace at the first garden party of the season.

Tickets for the tightly-controlled events are a hot commodity and invitations are extended to those who have excelled within their community or who have worked in service to particular charities.

This year, one of the guests was a guide dog who stole Queen Camilla’s heart soon after the royal party arrived.

Watch the video above.

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The King and Queen were accompanied to the party by the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester on Wednesday afternoon.

As Queen Camilla made her way onto the grass, she spotted Haworth who was with his owner Jeanette Binns.

Immediately the Queen, who is an animal lover and recently adopted a second dog following the death of her beloved Beth, bent down to pat Haworth.

The dog obliged and laid onto its back, happy for the attention from the Queen.

Binns said: “I’ve had him seven years, he’s my fifth guide dog, but he’s the first one to meet the Queen.”

Camilla replied: “Well, I’m very honoured to meet him.”

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Speaking of the encounter afterwards, Binns said of her dog: “He did pile it on a bit. He knows how to impress. I’ve always said he’s an attention seeker, he’s gone up a notch with this.”

Queen Camilla wore a large diamond and turquoise brooch that was previously worn by Queen Elizabeth II. One of its most famous appearances was when the late monarch made her emotional and rousing ‘We will meet again’ speech during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, promising that “better days will return”.

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The brooch was given to Queen Mary as a wedding gift from her parents in 1893.

Queen Camilla pinned the historic brooch to her Christian Dior teal blue dress, which featured a cream lace insert to match her gloves, and a hat by Philip Treacy.

The King wore a blue waistcoat and a traditional top hat and tails for the occasion.

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Although members of the royal family carried umbrellas, the sunshine remained throughout the party.

Guests were entertained by bands from the Welsh Guards and the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre, who played songs from shows including Oliver! Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Phantom of the Opera.

On average, guests at garden parties drink more than 27,000 cups of tea and tuck into 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 cakes.

Garden Parties have been a royal tradition since the 1860s during Queen Victoria’s reign, and around 30,000 people will attend each year.

There are traditionally three held each year: two at Buckingham Palace and the third and final taking place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh.

This year, however, there are an additional two being held at Buckingham Palace. One will celebrate those working in the education sector, while the other will be dedicated to the military.

The next traditional garden party will take place on May 20 and the final will be held in Scotland on July 1.

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