To say it was the perfect ending to a magical afternoon is a huge understatement, and testament to the monarch’s ability to make absolutely everyone feel special and important whenever he comes into contact with them.
The day had started just before 3pm as Jessica and I arrived at the palace ready for security checks. Approaching Buckingham Palace in your finery, ready for a garden party with the King of England is an experience, that even as the Chief Content Officer at HELLO!, feels completely out of the ordinary.
And while the great British weather was threatening to dampen spirits at The King’s Trust 50th birthday celebration, the feeling of excited anticipation as we lined up to show our tickets among throngs of ladies in hats, and gentlemen in suits, was not in the least bit diminished by the glowering clouds overhead.
Walking through the huge gilded gates at the front of the palace is a humbling experience, and you can’t help thinking for a moment about the history this building has seen. You look up at the balcony that was the setting of the VE Day celebrations – King George and Winston Churchill, addressing the crowds that had gathered in the Mall. The weddings, the first public kisses, moments of great joy and history that have happened in that spot. It feels very surreal to be walking beneath it, into the sanctum of the gardens at the back of the palace.
You’re instantly immersed in the pomp and ceremony that Britain and the royal family do like no other. Brass bands playing popular music welcomed us while the sun poked through the clouds to allow a golden light to fall onto the great lawn that stretches from the stairs where I’ve seen many a monarch, prince and princess walk down in photographs of exactly these kinds of situations, down to the glorious lake. A lake which incidentally is clearly home to a number of geese and ducks who also joined us for our afternoon of celebrations, paying no heed to the velvet ropes separating the different tea tents – clearly the feathered residents had an understood access-all-areas pass to their home ground!
The event is spectacular from the moment you arrive – a quintessentially British experience with the politest and kindest waiters and waitresses offering you a choice of English breakfast tea, iced coffee or apple juice to drink. This is served on an ingenious saucer that stretches out way beyond your cup, allowing you to pile up your cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon blinis, scones with jam, Victoria sponge and even chocolate cake complete with a gold leaf crown on top. The atmosphere is one of pure celebration and wonder as everyone waits excitedly for the royal arrival.
Unannounced and in an elegant and understated way, the crowds become aware that two lines are forming on the grass, leaving a wide path for the monarch to walk down – his ultimate destination, the royal tea tent. It’s quite wonderful to see how this choreography of hundreds of people occurs without a single barrier, or obvious security operation. Just British politeness and a willingness to queue, everyone eager for a glimpse of our host.
© Alamy Stock PhotoSpot on time, the brass band goes quiet and then a grand crescendo towards the start of the National Anthem as King Charles steps out onto those famous steps and stands graciously in front of his guests. The crowd erupts into applause at the end of the anthem and the King, waving from his vantage point at the top of the steps, makes his way into the walkway created by his guests just moments before.
What astonished me was just how dedicated our King was to meeting and greeting as many people as he possibly could. It’s not an overstatement to say he spent a good hour walking a path that would have taken minutes, pausing as often as he could, on both sides of the walkway, to stop and talk, to understand their involvement in the charity that has been his passion for five decades.
He has a unique ability to make whoever his gaze rests on, feel the most important person in the world for that minute, and his unerringly cheery demeanour – despite wind, rain and later even hailstones! – is quite extraordinary. Our monarch took part in five solo engagements that day, but to look at him eagerly talking to everyone he came into contact with, you’d never know it. His stamina, his kindness and his dedication was really breathtaking to see up close.
What tidbits can I tell you that give you a backstage pass into this experience? I can tell you that it wasn’t just us who were giddy with excitement. We bumped into music legends Rod Stewart and Brian May, who were full of smiles and anticipation – Rod had even painted his nails green which was quite a look! He told me it was to support his favourite football team Celtic, but we all know the King is such an environmentalist I wondered if that might have played into his decision too!
© Alamy Stock PhotoWe met Damian Lewis, of Homeland fame, who told me he had a nice chat with the King with a big smile on his face, and even Dame Helen Mirren, who by the time I saw her was snuggled under an umbrella thanks to the great British weather, was clearly having a fabulous time. Geri Halliwell, formerly Ginger Spice, had taken her daughter Bluebell to enjoy the afternoon – a very special one for her, as it was her 20th birthday. And everyone, no matter how famous they were, was snapping selfies and photographs to remember the occasion. The enormity of the experience hits you regardless of your standing in the world.
I think what feels most special about an invite to a Garden Party is that you really feel welcomed into an inner sanctum. As I looked out across the huge lawn, usually entirely private, I could imagine a young Harry and William running around with their mother Diana while the then Prince Charles attended to important conversations with his mother. I could see in my mind, the Wales children playing hide and seek in the trees around the lake, chasing the geese while under the care of their nanny on an important day like Trooping the Colour. I had visited the gardens before as part of an official tour of the palace and I really recommend you do so if you’re ever in London when the tours are operational, as it really is a stunning experience.
For us yesterday though, it was a reaffirmation of the special man that is our King, his commitment to his charities, the people who they help and those who make it happen. A commitment above all, to his public. I’d have been exhausted after that tour to the tea tent, but if he was, you could not see it at all.
With yeomen trooping, officers wandering and brass bands playing it was a fabulous example of the pomp and circumstance that the British do so well, and a fitting afternoon to celebrate the work of a charity that has changed the course of so many lives in its 50 impressive years.
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