Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
In summer, the Sovereign traditionally hosts three Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland to thank those who have helped their communities. This year, King Charles has displayed a “show of unity” alongside the Royal Family, which has been a “highly significant” way of marking a “show of unity”, according to a leading royal commentator.
Leading royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, exclusively spoke to Express.co.uk about the annual palace events. He explained: “This is a testing time for the Royal Family, with King Charles battling cancer and the Princess of Wales in remission, whilst the Sussexes have resumed hostilities.
He added: “It was therefore highly significant to see so many members of the royal family at the Garden Party held yesterday at the Palace, the first Catherine has attended in two years. A show of unity is especially important when an institution, the most significant for Britain’s projection of soft power, faces challenges.”
It also comes at a time when Prince Harry addressed BBC America, stating he “would love a reconciliation” with the Royal Family, in an emotional interview in which he said he was “devastated” at losing a legal challenge over his security in the UK.
On May 20, Princess Kate attended the first Buckingham Palace Garden Party since her cancer diagnosis, and was joined by Prince William, Zara Tindall and Princess Eugenie, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
It was a repeat of last year’s attendance, where William’s cousins rallied round the heir to the throne as he led the annual event weeks after it was revealed that his wife had started chemotherapy.
Thousands of guests were met with beaming sunshine as they gathered in the beautiful grounds of Buckingham Palace yesterday,having been invited to reward their contributions to society and the community.
Mr Fitzwilliams further added: “Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse are a wonderful way of thanking those who have helped their communities. They give pleasure and show recognition of philanthropic efforts, especially locally. There tend to be taken for granted by the press, which concentrates on the statistics of what is served and not why the guests are there.”
The outdoor soiree, part of a series of annual garden parties held at the palace and Scotland’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, allows the Royal Family to “speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community,” according to the royal family’s official website.
During Garden Parties, the royals in attendance greet guests in designated “lanes,” during which each royal family member takes a different route and watches presentations from the various attendees. Afterwards, the royals make their way to the Royal Tea Tent to converse with other guests.
Mr Fitzwilliams added: “The Honours System, of course, is the most valued recognition of good works as well as merit, but it suffers from an image problem. Some of the awards to civil servants and some dubious names in the various Prime Minister’s Resignation Honours Lists have done it harm, despite radical and much needed recent change. The attendance of so many royals gives an extra cachet to a Garden Party, with the Palaces providing an ideal setting.”
Key people invited yesterday included the family of Liz Hatton, the 17-year-old photographer who died from cancer and was praised by the Prince and Princess of Wales as a “brave and humble young woman”. The family recently created a charity called Capture in Liz’s honour to support those with Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour.
Another notable person is Steven Frank, a Holocaust survivor who the princess photographed in 2020 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.