Royal Garden Parties: Inside the Palace's Grandest Tea Party

Picture eight thousand people, all in their summer finery, spread across one of the most private lawns in Britain. Bands are playing, the scent of cut grass and roses hangs in the air, and somewhere a forty-metre buffet is pouring tea by the thousand. At four o’clock precisely, the National Anthem strikes up, and the King and Queen step out onto the terrace. This is a royal garden party — and it is one of the loveliest traditions the monarchy has.

Each summer the Sovereign hosts several of these gatherings, welcoming more than 30,000 guests in all to the gardens of Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Far from being stuffy state occasions, they are warm, sociable afternoons designed to thank ordinary people for extraordinary service. Here is how a royal garden party really works.

A tradition that began with Queen Victoria

The garden party has surprisingly homely roots. The tradition reaches back to the 1860s, when Queen Victoria began hosting afternoon gatherings — then known as “breakfasts,” despite being held in the afternoon — in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

In Victoria’s day these were largely social affairs for the upper classes. Over time, and especially during the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, their purpose shifted into something far more democratic. The modern garden party exists to recognise and reward public service — to bring people from every corner of the country and every walk of life into the palace grounds and say, in effect, thank you. That change of spirit is what makes them feel so different from a formal banquet: the guest of honour is, quite deliberately, the everyday citizen who has given something back.

How to get invited

This is the question everyone asks, and the answer is rather charming: you cannot apply. There is no ticket office and no online form. Invitations are earned, not bought.

Instead, a wide network of sponsors puts forward names — Lord-Lieutenants representing the King in each county, government departments, the Armed Forces, the Church and other faiths, charities, local government and professional associations. They nominate people who have made a real contribution to their community, with the aim of gathering a genuine cross-section of the nation on the lawn. If you have given years of quiet service to a good cause, you may one day find a crisp invitation from the Lord Chamberlain landing on your doormat — and that, traditionally, is the only way in.

What happens on the day

Guests arrive in the early afternoon and are free to wander the palace gardens — forty acres of lawns, a lake and borders that few members of the public ever see. Two military bands play throughout, and a hum of happy conversation fills the grounds.

At 4 o’clock, everything pauses. The bands strike up the National Anthem, and the King and Queen, with other members of the royal family, emerge to take their places. The royal party then moves slowly through the crowd along “lanes” kept clear by Gentlemen Ushers, stopping to chat with guests who have been quietly singled out beforehand. Watching over it all are the Yeomen of the Guard, the Sovereign’s ceremonial bodyguard in their splendid Tudor uniforms.

While most guests take tea from the long public buffets, the royal party and a number of specially invited guests head for the Royal Tea Tent. At around six o’clock the National Anthem is played once more, and the afternoon draws gently to a close.

The astonishing catering

If the garden party has a legend, it is the tea. The numbers are genuinely staggering. At each party, the palace kitchens serve around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake, kept flowing by some 400 catering staff working a buffet that stretches well over a hundred metres.

The menu is a love letter to the great British afternoon tea: delicate finger sandwiches, scones, and an array of cakes and pastries, all served on fine china. It is afternoon tea on an almost unimaginable scale — and yet, somehow, it never loses the feel of a proper, friendly cup of tea on the lawn. For a nation that takes its tea seriously, there is something deeply pleasing about the monarchy doing it bigger and better than anyone else.

What to wear

A garden party is a chance to dress up, and most guests do so with relish. The traditional dress code is morning dress or lounge suits for gentlemen, and day dress for ladies, usually finished with a hat or fascinator. National dress and service uniforms are warmly welcomed too, adding wonderful colour to the crowd.

The overall effect is one of cheerful elegance — a sea of smart suits, summer frocks and splendid hats stretching across the green. It is, for many guests, the smartest afternoon of their lives, and the photographs tend to be treasured for years afterwards.

Holyrood Week: the Edinburgh garden party

The tradition is not confined to London. Each summer the Sovereign also hosts a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royal residence at the foot of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, during the annual celebration known as Holyrood Week.

It works in much the same way, welcoming around 8,000 Scottish guests onto the historic palace grounds in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat. In July 2024, King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted the Holyroodhouse garden party, joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh — a reminder that these gatherings happen the length of the United Kingdom, honouring service in Scotland just as warmly as in England.

More than a party

It would be easy to think of a royal garden party as simply a grand afternoon out, and it certainly is that. But its real purpose runs deeper. In a single afternoon, the monarchy gathers thousands of nurses, volunteers, veterans, teachers and community heroes onto a palace lawn and quietly says thank you — face to face, over a cup of tea.

That is the genius of the tradition. It turns the grandeur of the palace outwards, towards the people who keep the country running, and lets the gardens of Buckingham Palace belong, for one golden afternoon, to everyone who has earned a place there. Browse our Royal Places & Events stories to discover more of the great occasions where Britain’s royal heritage comes beautifully to life.

Frequently asked questions

How many guests attend a royal garden party?

Up to 8,000 guests attend each garden party, with more than 30,000 people invited in total across the summer’s events at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

How do you get invited to a royal garden party?

You cannot apply directly. Guests are nominated by a network of sponsors — including Lord-Lieutenants, government departments, the Armed Forces, the Church, charities and associations — to recognise contributions to their community.

How much tea is served at a garden party?

A great deal. At each party, around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are served, supported by roughly 400 catering staff.

What is the dress code for a royal garden party?

Gentlemen wear morning dress or lounge suits, and ladies wear day dress, usually with a hat or fascinator. National dress and service uniforms are also welcome.

Where are royal garden parties held?

Three are traditionally held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh during Holyrood Week each summer.

When did royal garden parties begin?

They date back to the 1860s, when Queen Victoria hosted afternoon gatherings at Buckingham Palace. Over time they evolved to recognise and reward public service.

What time does a garden party start and finish?

Guests arrive in the early afternoon. At 4 o’clock the National Anthem is played and the royal party appears; the afternoon ends at around 6 o’clock with the National Anthem once more.

Arrangements for garden parties are set by the Royal Household and can change; details here are correct as of 2026. For the definitive, current information, see royal.uk.