Afternoon tea with the Queen (a Buckingham Palace garden party)

I was fortunate enough to get an invite to a garden party at Buckingham Palace last week. The Queen holds a few of these every year and invites around 8,000 lucky people along each time to see her, a selection of other royals and enjoy some delicious tea and cake in the grounds.

 

Many people there were military types, but there were also a lot of religious people and people in uniform, being rewarded with cake (my favourite type of reward) for working hard. However, I felt like a fraud as a was simply a +1 to my lovely Auntie who works at the Palace.

The day started off with a typically British queue outside the Palace, with fancy hats and unsuitable shoes as far as the eye could see. We slowly funneled through the main entrance and out into the grounds. Being a greedy pregnant lady, I headed straight to the tea tent and consumed 2 piles of delicious sandwiches and beautiful miniature cakes*.

*note to self, don't put your cup of tea next to a chocolate mousse cake, especially when wearing a white dress!

Melted chocolate cake! Oops

Next, a lot of milling around waiting for the Queen to appear. When I spotted her, the baby gave some excited kicks, before she disappeared into the crowd (the Queen is very small and so you have no chance of seeing her unless you get to the front). She was wearing a classic minty green number with a matching umbrella, although we were very lucky and the rain held off all day. I guess I have little bean's dancing to thank for that!

Once the royalty had emerged and headed into their own tent (apparently to sit and look at the cake as they don't actually eat, I wish I had some of that self control!), I was introduced to Princess Alexandra. She seemed very friendly and interesting, although was in quite a rush as she had a big list of people to meet. I think I managed a sort-of curtsy, but it was probably more of a embarrassing half-collapse.

We wandered around the grounds, the gardens are massive and you don't feel like you are in the centre of London. They even have tennis courts! Then back to the tents to watch the royals walk back into the Palace, we got a front row spot and saw the Queen up close this time.

  

Overall, it was a wonderful day out. The highlights were getting dressed up, the amazing cakes and seeing the Queen. Negatives included a lack of seating (partially due to people 'saving' chairs and a disregard for elderly/pregnant people), and being dressed up. I don't think I've worn heels for years and the bump did not enjoy being stuffed into a non-maternity dress already!

Thank you Queenie for having me round to your house, you're always welcome to mine. We have plenty of seats and my husband makes great scones, although our garden is slightly smaller!