Kate Middleton and Prince William Host Buckingham Palace Garden Party Days After King Charles’ Coronation
The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out at the tea party in the Buckingham Palace gardens
The coronation weekend may be over, but Kate Middleton and Prince William are back at Buckingham Palace to host a garden party.
The Prince and Princess of Wales took on the duty of leading the royals in the springtime festivities on Tuesday. While King Charles and Queen Camilla are taking it easy just days after the coronation, the monarch visited the new Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge.
Soon after thousands of specially-invited guests from all walks of life in Britain had tucked into tiny finger sandwiches, mini cakes and cups of tea, the royal couple appeared at the top of the steps at the back of the palace. They were joined at the event by Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh as well as Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty
Kate recycled a cornflower blue dress with sheer sleeves by Elie Saab and a matching Philip Treacy hat with a flower detail that she previously wore to Royal Ascot in 2019. She accessorized with the Lola Blue topaz and diamond hoop earrings by Kiki McDonough. Meanwhile, Prince William coordinated with his wife in a blue tie and completed his ensemble with a top hat! The heir to the throne also carried an umbrella — after all, Queen Elizabeth once said that the weather “can be a bit of a worry” when it comes to garden parties.
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As is customary, the party started with the national anthem being played as the royals and their guests stood to attention. The rendition of “God Save the King” had an added resonance so soon after King Charles’ spectacular coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Prince William, 40, and Princess Kate, 41, then stepped down onto the lawns, which on Saturday hosted the bands of the British Army that played their tribute to the newly-crowned King and Queen.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales.Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty
The garden party came two days after Prince William led the U.K.’s tributes to his “Pa” at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. The Prince of Wales praised his father’s campaigning on behalf of the environment and giving a leg up to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Take the natural world. He warned us of the risks to our planet’s health long before it was an everyday issue,” William said, pointing to his father’s lifelong passion for conservation and the environment.
“Or the Prince’s Trust. It has supported over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realize their ambitions,” he continued, referencing Charles’ namesake charity, established 1976.
“And, perhaps most importantly of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported,” the Prince of Wales added, emphasizing his father’s interest in and dedication to interfaith relations. “Pa, we are all so proud of you.”
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty
Prince William had hinted at his appearance at the party on Monday, when he met with scouts during a volunteering day alongside his family — including kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Scout Preeti Valand asked the royal if he was going to get some rest after the hectic coronation weekend, she tells PEOPLE: “He said there is a garden party tomorrow and he will do so after that.’”
Tuesday’s garden party was the second to take place at Buckingham Palace this year. King Charles and Queen Camilla led the first such event of the new reign last week, when Lionel Richie, who performed at Sunday’s Coronation Concert, was among the guests.
After canceling garden parties in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the events (dating back to the 1860s) resumed last summer — although Queen Elizabeth, who died in September at age 96, was represented by other members of the royal family at the gatherings last year.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty
Princess Kate attended two garden parties in 2022 — one solo (when Prince William had another outing at the Dedication of the Submariner Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum) and another with her husband. She sported a coral ensemble by Emilia Wickstead with coordinating heels and a pink fascinator that she wore for Trooping the Colour in 2017 for the first garden party, then opted for a head-to-toe mint green ensemble for the second event.
