Scotland Times

Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024

Queen to miss royal garden parties this summer

Queen to miss royal garden parties this summer

Other members of the Royal Family will stand in for the Queen when the traditional garden parties return this summer, Buckingham Palace has said.

The Queen, who is 96 and has mobility problems, has cut back on several engagements in recent months.

More than 30,000 people are usually invited each year to Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

A Palace spokesman said details of which royals would attend would be confirmed later.

The first garden party in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year is set to take place next Wednesday at Buckingham Palace, with others following on 18 and 25 May, as well as on 29 June at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in Edinburgh.

Because of the pandemic, it is the first time in three years members of the public have been invited to the Queen's home for the garden parties.

The parties are used by Buckingham Palace to recognise and reward public service, with guests nominated by a network of sponsors including Lord-Lieutenants, government departments, the armed forces and faith groups.


The Queen, a former private secretary once quipped, was "as strong as a yak, had very good legs and could stand for a long time". And the garden parties require a lot of standing.

A selection of guests is gently shepherded into semi-circles and the hosting royal makes their way around the group chatting with each one.

It is a fair amount of time on one's feet for anyone. For a 96-year-old it is a big ask. And for a 96-year-old with mobility issues, it is just too much. Today's announcement is among the least surprising of the royal year.

The Queen is not immobile. She made her way, on her son Prince Andrew's arm, to her seat at Westminster Abbey a month ago for the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip.

Photos of her meeting and greeting officials and visiting politicians are put out pretty regularly by the Palace.

But an hour or so of walking, standing and chatting at a garden party is currently beyond her.

An appearance at the State Opening of Parliament next week - with its long public walk to the throne - must be unlikely, as the Queen prepares to celebrate her 70th Jubilee in early June.

The decision for other royals to host the parties comes after the Queen reached the 70th year of her reign in February and overcame a bout of Covid in the same month.

She celebrated her 96th birthday privately on 21 April at her Sandringham estate.

Since the pandemic began, the Queen has spent most of her time living at Windsor Castle, rather than at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen met Holocaust survivor and educator Gena Turgel at a garden party in 2015


Last October, the monarch spent a night in hospital and for three months was under doctors' orders to only carry out light duties, missing a number of prominent events.

The Queen has been using a walking stick in public since last October, when she attended a service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion.

There has been no announcement yet about whether the Queen will attend the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday.

After that, there will be a series of events to mark the Platinum Jubilee over an extended bank holiday weekend between 2 and 6 June.

Pub opening hours in England and Wales will be extended to 01:00 BST and, on 2 June, more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will take part in Trooping the Colour on the Queen's official birthday.

On 4 June, 10,000 members of the public will attend a concert in front of Buckingham Palace, with George Ezra among the performers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Scotland Times
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Island Orkney council to look at proposals to become territory of Norway
Woman Awarded Over £100,000 After Being Fired for Transgender Tweet
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
A Real woman
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
China's foreign ministry branch in Hong Kong urges British gov't to stop the biased and double standards Hong Kong report
Double standards: UK lawmakers attack EU chief over Ireland claims
Democracy? Not for UK. UK PM rejects Scottish independence referendum, cancel democracy in BVI
UK urged to brace for economic storm
Women's own body dissatisfaction appears to influence their judgment of other women's body sizes
Prince William To Move Family Into Cottage Near Queen Elizabeth II
BOOOOOOS: Tony Blair receives royal honour
Captured Britons sentenced to death in Ukraine
Barbados PM Mia A. Mottley among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People
Today's headlines
"Just One Of the Boys In School:" Years That Shaped Prince Charles
BVI Premier Rubbishes Claim Of Causing COI Delay
Comments on "Human Intelligence in a Digital Age" - A brilliant Speech by MI6 Chief Richard Moore, and the elephants neglected in the room
Bitcoin: BoE Deputy Gov wants to cancel democracy and protect the banks with regulations which infringe on people’s freedom, independence and benefits they get from their own money.
What are the Pandora Papers?
Taiwan-China relations at their 'worst in 40 years'
The attempt to hold Epik.com accountable for the content of its clients' websites is like blaming Gutenberg for the NYT's fake news that dragged the US into the pointless war against the nuclear weapons Iraq never had
×