Sunshine Makes Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Worry’ Go Away

As has been the tradition for almost 150 years, Queen Elizabeth II started her annual Garden Parties on May 15. She hosts four garden parties every year: three at Buckingham Palace and one at Holyrood House. Although traditionally arranged by the Queen herself, her kickoff garden party was instead hosted by none other than Prince Charles himself.

On Tuesday, the Queen held her second garden party — and the party was a huge success. With over 8,000 attendees, the sun shone over the party at the garden of Buckingham Palace magnificently — to the pleasure of all the guests. The Queen was worried about a possible spring rain, but luckily the weather cooperated nicely.

“Well, you do rather hope the sun shines as when you invite 8,000 people to have tea on your lawn,” the 90-year-old monarch chided to a guest. “It can be a bit of a worry,” she added.

The Queen looked impressive in her spring-vibe outfit, clad in a pastel blue Stuart Parvin coat over a floral silk dress. She topped it off with a matching blue flower-adorned hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan and a pair of sunglasses.

Kate Middleton arrived in a dress complimentary in theme to the Queen’s. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a beautiful pastel pink coat dress designed by Alexander McQueen. She paired this with a fascinator hat by the London-based milliner Juliette Botterill.

What caught everyone’s eye, however, were the pearl earrings on the duchess’ ears. Kate wore the gorgeous earrings as homage to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who was the previous owner of the piece.

The party was a fine place to relax, enjoy and chat. The cucumber and mint, gammon, mustard and vine tomatoes, and egg and mayonnaise sandwiches, as well as the mini lemon tarts and Victorian sandwich cakes, provided the best snack to chat and gossip over mundane topics. The light yet satisfying meal could be completed only with the best refreshment readily made available: tea.

The Queen was seen mingling with the guests, sharing stories and light gossip for the amusement of everyone. The royal family was also present, either guiding the Queen or enjoying the party themselves. Overall, the attendees and the royal family seemed genuinely delighted with the whole affair.