King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed a host of stars to a garden party at Buckingham Palace
WORDS: MITYA UNDERWOOD PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
The royals are certainly accustomed to throwing glitzy events, but the King and Queen’s garden party at Buckingham Palace last week had a guest list positively bursting with well-dressed stars. Famous faces from the world of television and entertainment descended on the palace grounds to meet our monarch, all looking resplendent in an abundance of colour perfectly suited to the bright, sunny day.
Dressed in their finery, around 4,000 guests attended the garden party on Wednesday, 15 May, in recognition and celebration of the country’s creative industries.
Among the star-studded line-up met by King Charles and Queen Camilla were Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly and her husband Vernon Kay, filmmaker Louis Theroux, Hollywood director Sir Ridley Scott, DJ Clara Amfo and artist Tracey Emin.
Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and her actor partner Jason Statham were also on the guest list, as was father-and-son presenting duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, who recently hosted the revived Gladiators series for the BBC, along with Love Island presenter Maya Jama, who was dressed in a stunning off-the-shoulder blue gown with co-ordinated wide-brimmed hat. The sunny occasion was among the King’s first official royal engagements since he returned to public-facing duties after his treatment and recuperation following his cancer diagnosis.
Dressed in a grey tailored morning suit, pink waistcoat and top hat, the King appeared in incredibly good spirits as he joined the guests in the garden, with Camilla by his side.
The couple then spent the next few hours engaging with guests, with Camilla, who wore a very stylish pale pink Anna Valentine coat dress with matching Philip Treacy hat, stopping to talk to choreographer and former Strictly judge Dame Arlene Phillips, who will celebrate her 81st birthday this week.
The Queen, 76, admitted previously during a visit to the set of EastEnders that she was a fan of the dance show, telling Rose Ayling-Ellis, who used to play Frankie Lewis, “Rose, the Strictly star. I said we were all voting for Rose, I don’t know how you did all those dances.”
Queen Camilla also greeted Sir Lenny Henry, 65, who was knighted in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to drama and charity.
Following tradition, the King and Queen stood at the top of the garden steps to observe the national anthem before joining the garden party.
