Palace Garden Party

Very recently I was very lucky and privileged to be invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the presence of His Majesty King Charles the third. It was a very special day and one that I was honoured to attend.

Garden parties have been held for over 200 years. Initiated during the reign of Queen Victoria it was a way for members of the Royal Family to meet the general public. They are held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace which comprises of 39 acres of garden and lawns and typically 24,000 guests enjoy the event annually.

Tea on the lawn

Described as ‘a walled oasis in the middle of London’, the garden is the largest private garden in the capital and boasts 325 wild-plant species, 30 species of breeding birds, and over 1,000 trees, including 98 plane trees and 85 different species of oak. The central feature of the garden is the lake, created in the 19th century and originally fed from the overflow from the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

We were attending because of our relationship with Windsor Farm Shop who we supply with PMD Tea. The farm shop was established by the King’s late father the Duke of Edinburgh with the aim of selling high quality foods from the royal estates and other local suppliers.

The garden party started at 3pm and afternoon tea was served from 3.30. As you can see from the photos the weather as very kind to us and the event was magnificent spectacle. On offer were many sandwiches and savouries and my favourites were the smoked salmon and egg and watercress. The Victoria sponge was excellent and the scones were by the far the best I have had. For those wanting to know if the palace serves cream first or jam first. 

In front of the Royal Tea Tent

Its cream first. Entertainment was provided by two bands and they played the national anthem when the King and members of the Royal Family appeared at the steps of Buckingham Palace. 

Royal Garden Party food - cream first!

If you are not able to get to Windsor Farm shop to purchase some of our hand-picked teas you can order them here for worldwide delivery.