by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

In 2024, the Chelsea Flower Show will be held from May 21 to May 25. King Charles III and Queen Camilla along with The Duke of Gloucester and The Duchess of Gloucester will attend the preview show on May 20.

The Chelsea Flower Show, now held five days in May, is sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society and held on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an Old Soldiers’ retirement home and nursing home in Chelsea, London. 157,000 people attend the Chelsea Flower Show each year. The number of visitors is limited by the capacity of the 11-acre/4.5-hectare grounds, and all tickets must be purchased in advance. Members of the British Royal Family attend the Chelsea Flower Show.

• Royal Horticultural Society: Chelsea Flower Show

History

Chelsea Garden Show, May 19, 1914

Starting in 1833, the Royal Horticultural Society held flower shows at their gardens in Chiswick, a district in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London. In 1862, the flower show, called the Great Spring Show, was moved to Kensington Gardens in London and remained there until 1888 when the Royal Horticultural Society decided to move the flower show to Temple Gardens at The Temple, an area of the City of London surrounding Temple Church.

In 1912, the Great Spring Show was canceled at the Temple Gardens to allow an international horticultural exhibition to use the site. Instead, the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea were used for the 1912 Great Spring Show. It proved such a good site that the Great Spring Show was permanently moved there in 1913 and has taken place almost every year since, except for breaks during World War I and World War II. Eventually, the flower show came to be called the Chelsea Flower Show.

What Happens?

Visitors view the roses at the David Austin display stand at the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show

There are show gardens and competition gardens. Four grades of awards – gold, silver-gilt, silver, and bronze – are awarded for the competition gardens in the following categories: gardens and floral exhibits, exhibits of trees, exhibits of vegetables including herbs, exhibits of special educational or scientific interest and exhibits of pictures, photographs, floral arrangements, and floristry.

Sculptures made of wood at the 2023 Chelsea Garden Show

There are also special awards for best show garden, best courtyard garden, best chic garden, best city garden, sundries bowl, junior display trophy, floral arrangement trophies, floristry trophies, show certificates of merit, certificates for junior displays, Royal Horticultural Society President’s Award, Royal Horticultural Society Best Tradestand Award, and Royal Horticultural Society Director General’s Award for the Best Tradestand.

There have been several royalty-related show gardens including in 1937, the year of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) – “Coronation Year: The Empire Exhibition”, with displays of ornamental and economic plants from around the British Empire.

A display created by Simon Lycett for the 2022 show in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, featuring 70 terracotta pots – one for every year of The Queen’s reign – planted with Lily of the Valley

In 2022, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee – 2022 – “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Garden”, with laser-cut steel silhouettes of the Queen surrounded by 70 planted terracotta pots planted with Lily of the Valley, the Queen’s favorite flower.

The Back to Nature Garden

In 2019, Catherine, Princess of Wales, then Duchess of Cambridge, worked with the Royal Horticultural Society as one of the co-designers for a garden display “Back to Nature Garden”. The garden featured a tree house, a waterfall, a rustic den, and a campfire to emphasize the benefits the natural world brings to mental and physical well-being.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, then Duchess of Cambridge climbing up the ladder to the treehouse in the Back to Nature Garden

The Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration, designed by Dave Green for the 2023 show, featuring a bust of King Charles III (on the right)

In 2023, the Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s life and King Charles III‘s coronation. The garden featured some of the favorite plants of both Queen Elizabeth and King Charles III.

The Princess of Wales having a picnic with students at the 2023 show

Also, in 2023, Catherine, Princess of Wales, hosted the first children’s picnic at a newly created garden at the show with students from ten schools from the Royal Horticultural Society’s school gardening campaign.

Royal Attendance

In 1913, royal visits were yet to become a tradition. King George V and Queen Mary did not attend but the King’s mother Queen Alexandra did attend the 1913 show. Eventually, royalty became a significant presence at the Chelsea Flower Show. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) regularly attended the Chelsea Garden Show. Queen Elizabeth II visited fifty times during her seventy-year reign.

King Charles and Queen Camilla speak with Janet Fookes,  Judy Ling Wong, and Piet Oudolf after awarding them the Elizabeth Medal of Honour in the Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration during the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show 

In 2023, King Charles III, accompanied by Queen Camilla, made his first visit as King. He presented the first-ever Elizabeth Medal of Honour given out to people who have had a “significant impact on the advancement of science, art, or the practice of horticulture for the benefit of all generations and the environment.” The Elizabeth Medal of Honour is limited to seventy recipients at any one time, in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign. The Elizabeth Medal of Honour may not be awarded every year, however, it may be awarded to multiple recipients in other years.

Today, just about any member of the British royal family could attend the Chelsea Garden Show. Usually, several members of the British royal family attend a preview of the show, as part of the royal patronage of the Royal Horticultural Society.

• Gardens Illustrated: Royalty at Chelsea Flower Show through the years

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Piet Oudolf Receives Elizabeth Medal of Honour Presented by The King and Queen. Gardens Illustrated. (n.d.-a). https://www.gardensillustrated.com/chelsea/elizabeth-medal-honour-2023
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show. RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 / RHS Gardening. (n.d.). https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show
• Royalty at Chelsea Flower Show Through the Years. Gardens Illustrated. (n.d.). https://www.gardensillustrated.com/chelsea/royals-at-chelsea-flower-show
• Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Chelsea Flower Show. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Flower_Show

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Guarding the British Monarch is the responsibility of seven army regiments called The Household Division. The Household Division is responsible for Mounting The King’s Guard (or The Queen’s Guard if the Monarch is female) – guarding the Monarch – at Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, Windsor Castle,  the Tower of London, Horse Guards, Clarence House, the London home of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, adjacent to St. James’s Palace, and sometimes Holyrood Palace, the Monarch’s official residence when in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The regiments of the Household Division also participate in State Ceremonial events including The King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), the State Opening of Parliament, State Visits, the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, and other events of national importance such as royal weddings and royal funerals. When some members of The Household Division are on their ceremonial duty rotation, the other members serve as active-duty soldiers. The Monarch is Colonel-in-Chief of all seven regiments in the Household Division.

Two regiments, known as the Household Cavalry, are on horses. The remaining five regiments, who wear the scarlet tunics and the bearskins, are the Foot Guards, infantry soldiers. The five Regiments of Foot Guards in the Household Division perform the mounting of the guard at Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, and Clarence House. The two regiments of the Household Cavalry mount the guard while mounted on horses outside of Horse Guards.

Regiments of the Household Cavalry

The Life Guards

The Life Guards is the most senior regiment of the British Army. They wear a scarlet tunic, a metal cuirass (a piece of armor covering the torso), and a matching helmet with a white plume on the top in an onion shape. The Life Guards wear their chin strap below their lower lip.

The Blues and Royals

The Blues and Royals is the second-most senior regiment in the British Army. They wear a blue tunic, a metal cuirass, and a helmet with red plumes. The Blues and Royals wear their chin strap under their chin.

Regiments of the Foot Guards

(And how to tell them apart. It’s the buttons.)

Grenadier Guards

The Grenadier Guards have single buttons on their tunics and their collar badge is a grenade. The most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, the Grenadier Guards is the premier ceremonial regiment. It traditionally provides the pallbearers for deceased monarchs, most recently for Queen Elizabeth II. At the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, a color party from the Grenadier Guards was present in Westminster Abbey.

Coldstream Guards

The Coldstream Guards have buttons in groups of two on their tunics and their collar badge is the Garter Star and is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. In addition to other public and ceremonial duties, the band of the Coldstream Guards plays at the Changing of The Guard, state visits, and many other events.

Scots Guards

The Scots Guards have buttons in groups of three on their tunics and their collar badge is a thistle. They were the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland.

Irish Guards

The Irish Guards have buttons in groups of four on their tunics and their collar badge is a shamrock. They were formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War for the British Empire.

Welsh Guards

The Welsh Guards have buttons in groups of five on their tunics and their collar badge is a leek. They were formed in 1915, during the First World War, by the Royal Warrant of King George V.

The Sentry

A sentry will be on duty at their post for two hours. There is a sentry box for the sentry to use in inclement weather. Every ten minutes, he/she comes to attention, slopes the rifle, and does a march of fifteen paces across the area of the post. The sentry does this four to five times. He/she then shoulders the rifle and stands at ease.

Sentries receive instructions on how to deal with nuisances or possibilities of threats from the public. The protocol begins with the sentry stamping and coming sharply to attention. He/she shouts: “Stand back from the King’s Guard!” If a person steps in front of a sentry while he/she is marching, the sentry will shout: “Make way for the King’s Guard.” If the initial protocols do not eliminate the nuisance or threat, the sentry repeats the protocol. If the nuisance or threat continues, the sentry will assume the position of port arms (holding the rifle diagonally in front of the body with the muzzle pointing upward to the left) and then point his/her rifle at the person, and shout, “Stand back from the King’s Guard!” If the warnings are not heeded the sentry then has the choice of detaining the person(s) himself or pressing the button in his sentry box to summon assistance.

At Buckingham Palace, the sentry on duty stands behind the gates so there is no direct contact with the public. However, at other sites, the public can get quite close to the sentry and sometimes become a nuisance. While at Windsor Castle on July 17, 2015, this writer witnessed such a nuisance from a young man (from a country whose young people were observed by my husband and me to be rude and disrespectful during our visit to England). As the sentry walked back and forth, this young man walked next to the sentry. This writer witnessed all the protocols in the above paragraph except for detaining the person or summoning assistance, so, yes, I did see the sentry in the photo above point his gun at the young man and shout, “Stand back from the Queen’s Guard!” This short video taken at Windsor Castle shows a similar situation: YouTube: Why you don’t harass the Queen’s Guard. Soon after this incident, ropes were installed between the sentry posts at Windsor Castle and the public to keep the public away from the sentry.

Changing The Guard

At Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, and Clarence House

 

• YouTube – The Royal Family: The Changing of the Guard

The King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, and Clarence House is provided by one of the five regiments of the Foot Guards – Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards. The Changing of the Guard occurs behind the palace gates in the Buckingham Palace forecourt at 11:00 AM usually every day during the summer and on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday during the rest of the year. The public can observe the ceremony by standing outside Buckingham Palace gates.

The New Guard forming up on the parade square at Wellington Barracks before taking part in Changing the Guard in Buckingham Palace

The St. James’s Palace detachment of the King’s Guard, including the guard at Clarence House, the London residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, adjacent to St. James’s Palace, is also changed during this ceremony. They march the short distance along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the Buckingham Palace detachment has formed up to await their arrival. These two detachments are the Old Guard. At the same time, the New Guard is forming on the parade square at Wellington Barracks located about 300 yards/270 meters from Buckingham Palace. When the New Guard is formed, it marches across into the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, advances toward the Old Guard in slow time, and halts. The Old Guard presents arms and then the New Guard presents arms. The captains of the guards march towards each other for the handing over of the palace keys. The new relief guards are marched to the guardrooms of Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace to await their sentry duty rotation.

The band by the center gate, in a half-circle, and playing music

Meanwhile, the band has taken its place by the center gate, in a half-circle, and plays music. The two regimental colors are paraded up and down by the junior officers. With the Old Guards and New Guards formed once again, the Old Guard marches out through the center gates in slow time to a regimental slow march played by the band. At the end of the slow march, the captain of the Old Guard gives the word of command to “Break into quick time” and with a brisk five-pace roll from the drums, the band leads the way back to Wellington Barracks.

The Old Guard leaving Buckingham Palace and returning to Wellington Barracks

At Windsor Castle

• YouTube – Armed Forces Videos: Changing the Guard Windsor

A similar Changing of the Guard ceremony occurs at Windsor Castle. However, the ceremony takes place inside the Windsor Castle precincts, so a castle ticket is needed to watch the ceremony. The King’s Guard at Windsor Castle is provided by one of the five regiments of the Foot Guards – Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards. The guards march from Victoria Barracks on Sheet Street, up the High Street, and into Windsor Castle, and the public gathers along the streets to see them marching to Windsor Castle.

At The Tower of London

The King’s Guard, at the Tower of London is provided by one of the five regiments of the Foot Guards – Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards, consists of one officer, six non-commissioned officers, and fifteen soldiers. A sentry is posted outside the Jewel House, where the Crown Jewels are kept, and outside The Queen’s House. Protecting the Tower of London is a joint effort of the King’s Guard, the Yeomen Warders, and the Jewel House Wardens.

The Ceremonial Opening at the Tower of London

• YouTube: The Ceremonial Opening at the Tower of London

Three main military ceremonies take place at The Tower of London. At 9:00 AM, during The Ceremonial Opening, a military escort and the Duty Yeoman Warder open the Middle and Byward Towers after which the public is allowed to enter. At 3:00 PM, The Officer of The Guard and an Escort, march to the Byward Tower to collect the Word. The Word is the daily changing password for after-hours entry to the Tower of London, used by Tower staff, residents, and the soldiers on duty.

• YouTube: The Ceremony of the Word

Filming is not allowed during the Ceremony of the Keys. C-SPAN was permitted to film the Ceremony of the Keys during the 1991 Economic Summit of the United Nations and the summit participants attended.

• C-SPAN: Ceremony of the Keys 

The third ceremony starts at exactly 9:52 PM every night, when the Chief Yeoman Warder with a military escort, secures the Tower in the centuries-old custom of the Ceremony of The Keys, during which the main gates are locked. Between 40 and 50 visitors can see the ceremony each night but tickets must be purchased in advance. The Chief Yeoman Warder, carrying a lantern, leaves the Byward Tower and falls in with the military escort.

 

The Warder gives his lantern to a soldier and marches with the escort to the outer gate. The sentries on duty salute the King’s Keys as they pass. The Warder first locks the outer gate and then the gates of the Middle and Byward Towers. (above photo)

 

The Warder and escort march to the Bloody Tower archway where a sentry challenges the party to identify themselves (above photo):

Sentry: “Halt! Who comes there?”
Chief Warder: “The keys.”
Sentry: “Whose keys?”
Chief Warder: “King Charles’s keys.”
Sentry: “Pass King Charles’s Keys. All’s well.”

 

The Warder and the military escort march down to the Broadwalk Steps where the main Tower Guard is in formation to meet them (above photo). The Warder’s party halts, and the officer in charge gives the command to present arms. The Chief Warder steps forward, doffs his bonnet, and proclaims: “God preserve King Charles!” and the Guard responds “Amen!”

On the answering “Amen!”, the clock of the Waterloo Barracks in the Tower of London strikes 10:00 PM, and the Last Post is sounded, marking the end of the Ceremony of the Keys. The escort is dismissed, and the Chief Warder takes the keys to the King’s House for safekeeping overnight

At Horse Guards

The King’s Life Guard is provided by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, which consists of the Life Guards who wear red tunics and white helmet plumes, and the Blues and Royals who wear blue tunics and red helmet plumes. They serve as sentries, mounted on horses at the entrance to Horse Guards on Whitehall in London. Horse Guards, a building in between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade, is still used for military purposes. Behind the Horse Guards building is the Horse Guards Parade. It was originally the courtyard in the middle of Whitehall Palace, built during the reign of King Henry VIII. Whitehall Palace was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of the Banqueting House, were destroyed by fire. It is now the ceremonial parade ground used for royal and ceremonial events throughout the year.

 

Two mounted sentries guard the entrance to Horse Guards from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM and are changed every hour. From 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM, a pair of dismounted sentries guard the entrance. At 8:00 PM, the gates of Horse Guards are locked, and a single sentry remains until 7:00 AM.

• YouTube: Changing of The Guards At Horse Guards Parade

The main ceremony occurs every morning. Every morning at 10:30 AM, the new mounted guard leaves the Hyde Park Barracks, and arrives at the Horse Guards Parade, behind the Horse Guards building, at 11:00 AM for the Changing of the Guard. When the Monarch is in residence in London, the guard consists of one officer and twelve other ranks including a trumpeter and standard bearer, known as a Long Guard. The Standard and trumpeters only parade with a Long Guard. When the monarch is not in London, the guard is reduced to two non-commissioned officers and ten troopers, known as a Short Guard.

The Old Guard forms up on the north side of Horse Guards Parade and the New Guard forms up on the south side. When both Guards have formed up, the Corporal Major, the senior non-commissioned officer, and the sentries of the first relief of the New Guard leave for the Guard Room which is then handed over. The sentries of the Old Guard, after being relieved, rejoin the remainder of the Old Guard on the North side of the enclosure. They then return to their barracks.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Changing the Guard. The Royal Family. (n.d.). https://www.royal.uk/changing-the-guard
• Hardman, Robert. (2007). A Year With The Queen. Simon and Schuster.
• The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace. (n.d.). https://www.buckinghampalace.co.uk/changing-the-guard.php
• The Household Division – Official Site. (n.d.). https://www.householddivision.org.uk/
• Wikimedia. (2024, February 19). Ceremony of the Keys (London). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremony_of_the_Keys_(London)
• Wikimedia. (2024, April 15). Guard Mounting. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_mounting#Unit Household Division ed_Kingdom
• Wikimedia. (2024, April 19). King’s Guard. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Guard

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Charles III and Queen Camilla stand at the top of the steps on the West Terrace before meeting guests attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 3, 2023

2024 Garden Parties – May 8, 2024 and May 21, 2024 at Buckingham Palace in London, England and September 5, 2024 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Each year two, and sometimes three, garden parties are held at Buckingham Palace in London, England in the late spring or the early summer and one is held at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland during Holyrood Week when the Monarch spends a week in the summer visiting various parts in Scotland. About 8,000 guests attend each garden party. The garden parties are a way for the Monarch to recognize and reward public service. A network of sponsors is used to nominate guests including Lord-Lieutenants (the Monarch’s personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom), charities, various societies and associations, government departments, local government, the armed services, the Church of England, and other religions. It is not possible to obtain invitations to garden parties by contacting Buckingham Palace.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDEN PARTY

History

Although previous monarchs held entertainments in the Buckingham Palace garden, the tradition of large, formal, garden parties began during the reign of Queen Victoria when two garden parties were held at Buckingham Palace during her Golden Jubilee in 1887 and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II all held garden parties. Videos of past garden parties can be seen at  https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/170525/ King George V’s 1935 garden party is at the top of the page but more video clips can be seen by scrolling down.

Buckingham Palace Garden

Behind Buckingham Palace and the privacy wall bounded by Constitution Hill to the north, Hyde Park Corner to the west, Grosvenor Place to the south-west, and the Royal Mews, the King’s Gallery, and Buckingham Palace to the south and east, is a 42 acre park, the Buckingham Palace Garden, the setting for monarch’s annual London garden parties. This writer has had the good fortune of visiting Buckingham Palace Garden as it is included with the price of admission to Buckingham Palace. It was truly amazing. I had no idea that such a beautiful park lay hidden behind those walls.

The garden at Buckingham Palace had its beginning from the garden created at Buckingham House, a large townhouse built by John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham in 1703. The core of today’s Buckingham Palace is Buckingham House. King George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 as a private residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen’s House. During the 19th century, it was enlarged by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the official residence of the British monarch during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The garden forms a triangle with Buckingham Palace at the top. The western (rear) facade of Buckingham Palace opens to the West Terrace overlooking the Main Lawn. Beyond the Main Lawn is the lake. As stated above, the garden is surrounded by a wall.

A gravel path goes around the garden’s perimeter with paths branching out around the lawns, lake, and flowerbeds. The main trees in the garden are London Plane trees, similar to the American sycamore tree. There are many commemorative trees, planted to celebrate royal occasions, a tradition begun by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The garden is maintained by eight full-time gardeners and several part-time gardeners. Most of the statuary in the garden, including vases and urns on the West Terrace, was designed by architect John Nash.

While strolling around the Buckingham Palace Garden, some architectural features can be seen. The Waterloo Vase, a 15-foot (4.6 m) stone urn made from a single piece of Carrara marble, was initially presented to Napoleon I, Emperor of France who intended to have it carved in celebration of his future military victories. After Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the uncarved vase was given to The Prince Regent, later King George IV. The Prince Regent commissioned sculptor Richard Westmacott to decorate the vase with reliefs celebrating the victory of the British-led force of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, and Nassau, under the command of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

A summerhouse, previously at the old Admiralty Garden at the other end of The Mall, is opposite the Waterloo Vase and is attributed to architect William Kent.

What Happens at a Garden Party?

Guests walking through the gates of Buckingham Palace for a Garden Party on July 23, 1931

The guests, with gentlemen in morning dress or lounge suits and women in day dress, usually with hats or fascinators (national dress and uniform are also often worn), enter the Buckingham Palace gates or the Holyrood Palace gates at 3:00 PM. The guests take tea and sandwiches in marquees erected in the garden.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester arrive to meet the guests attending the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, in London, on May 3, 2023 

Members of the Royal Family enter the garden at 4:00 PM as the National Anthem is played by one of the two military bands present who also play music throughout the garden party. The Royal Family then walks through the ranks of assembled guests through ‘lanes’, with each Royal Family member taking a different route so that everyone has an equal chance of randomly speaking to a member of the Royal Family. The Royal Family arrives at the Royal Tea Tent, where they meet guests previously selected for the honor. Guests are free to eat, drink, and stroll around the garden.

The Duchess of Edinburgh speaks to guests during the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 3, 2023

HOLYROOD PALACE GARDEN PARTY

Holyrood Palace Garden Party during the reign of King George V

The Holyrood Garden Party began during the reign of King George V (reigned 1910 – 1936). King George V and Queen Mary began the tradition of spending a week each year at Holyrood Palace and hosted the first garden party in the palace gardens in 1928. The guest selection process, the Buckingham Palace garden party program, and the dress requirements are also used for the Holyrood Palace garden party.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla pause for the National Anthem at a Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on July 4, 2023

Guests during a garden party at Holyrood Palace on June 29, 2022

Holyrood Palace, which this writer has visited, is located at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and is the British Monarch’s official residence in Scotland. The palace is adjacent to  Holyrood Abbey, now in ruins (behind and just to the right of Holyrood Palace in the above photo). The palace, the abbey, and the gardens (the grassy area on the right in the photo above) are set within Holyrood Park. Between 1501 – 1505, James IV, King of Scots constructed a Gothic palace adjacent to the Holyrood Abbey which was the residence of the Scots Monarch. James V, King of Scots added to the palace between 1528 – 1536. From 1671 – 1678, the palace was rebuilt and restored after years of neglect and several fires. However, some of the older palace was retained including the 16th-century historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots and the State Apartments.

The Princess Royal greets guests during a Garden Party at Holyrood Palace on July 4, 2023

Holyrood Palace Garden

Behind Holyrood Palace is a ten-acre garden set within the much larger Holyrood Park. Overlooking Holyrood Palace is Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano, the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland, which form most of Holyrood Park. Unlike the Buckingham Palace Garden, the Holyrood Gardens are not walled. It is mostly an open area with panoramic views of Arthur’s Seat and the surrounding hills, and views of the entire park.

The garden we see today was started by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first came to Holyrood Palace, the gardens were overgrown. Prince Albert established new planting areas. Since then, the gardens have been continually improved and updated, and seven greenhouses were built which supply Holyrood Palace with flowers throughout the year. Recent additions to the gardens include a physic garden containing medicinal and culinary plants that would have grown in the 17th-century garden, and a flowering meadow evoking the 15th-century monastic garden of Holyrood Abbey, the first recorded garden on the site.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Garden Parties 2023. The Royal Family. (2023). https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-05-03/garden-parties-2023
• Garden Parties. The Royal Family. (n.d.-a). https://www.royal.uk/garden-parties
• Hardman, Robert. (2007). A Year With The Queen. Simon and Schuster.
• Holyrood Week. The Royal Family. (2023). https://www.royal.uk/holyrood-week
• Queen’s Garden Parties. (2019). https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/bazaar-art/g27554967/queen-royal-garden-parties-history/
• Taylor, Elise. (2019). The Historic Evolution of the Royal Family’s Grand Garden Parties. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/the-historic-evolution-of-the-royal-familys-grand-garden-parties
• The Palace of Holyroodhouse Garden. Royal Collection Trust. (n.d.). https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse/the-palace-of-holyroodhouse-garden
• Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Buckingham Palace Garden. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace_Garden#Garden_parties