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Royal Garden Parties
Every year, 30,000 people are granted the honour of joining The King at a Royal Garden Party.
Taking place twice a year at Buckingham Palace and once at Holyrood House in Edinburgh, the events welcome deserving people from all walks of life to enjoy the hospitality of the Royal Family.
With music playing as tea and refreshments are served, guests are invited to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Palace. The arrival of The King and other members of the Royal Household is signalled at 4pm as The National Anthem is played by a military band.
Originally started by Queen Victoria in the 1860s, Royal Garden Parties have moved from the presentation of debutantes to a celebration of public service.
Can you nominate someone for an invitation to a Royal Garden Party?
A long established network of sponsors is used to invite guests from all walks of life, who include Lord-Lieutenants, Societies and Associations, Government Departments, Local Government, the uniformed services, and faith groups. It is not possible to acquire invitations to a Royal Garden Party through direct application to Buckingham Palace.
This ensures that a representative cross-section of the community is invited and that guests are generally people who have made a substantial contribution to their organisations or society.
Lieutenancies across the country are allocated spaces and asked to nominate worthy individuals from across their counties to attend Garden Parties.
The Lord-Lieutenant also seeks nominations from organisations and people from across the county such as Deputy Lieutenants, Local Authorities, Hospitals and emergency services and the charity sector too.
It is the goal of the Buckinghamshire Lieutenancy to reach and reward members of the public who have shown a selfless commitment to improve their community. As always, recognition is vital to recognise and inspire these unsung heroes.
If there is someone that you believe is richly deserving of an invitation to a Royal Garden Party, please do bring them to the attention of the Lord-Lieutenant so the thanks of the county may be extended to this individual.
Please complete the nomination form stating why you feel your nominee should be considered to attend a Royal Garden Party. It will be helpful if you can supply their correct email and full postal address.
The Lord-Lieutenant has a panel which will consider the request and, if they feel the nomination is suitable, will contact the nominee to complete the process.
Nominations are received all year round, but the closing date for nominations in each particular year is 30th November.
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Nominees should reside in the county or do their ‘worthy work’ within Buckinghamshire. (Please contact your county's Lieutenancy Office if your nominee does not live in Buckinghamshire)
It is important to note that nominees should not be made aware that they have been nominated, and it is preferred that immediate family members are not the nominating party.
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Please be aware that there are many nominations for individuals to attend Garden Parties and regrettably there is no guarantee of success for your nominee. If the Lord-Lieutenant is content with your nomination, it may be added to the waiting list for consideration to attend a future Garden Party.
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Please contact the Lieutenancy Office if you require a copy of the form in an alternative format.
Dress and Attendance
Invitations to a Royal Garden Party enable guests to bring one other person with them, such as their partner, parent, or child over the age of 18.
All persons nominated must be British citizens, resident in the United Kingdom. Those nominated must not have previously attended one of His Majesty's Garden Parties.
Expected dress at a Royal Garden Party would be a morning suit or lounge suit for men, and day dress for women – often including fascinators or hats.
Unsung Heros Garden Party
Buckinghamshire is a vibrant county with many people carrying out activities to support their local communities. Often these people don’t receive the recognition they deserve as they give their time and support freely to charities, business, individuals and communities simply because it is something they want to do. It is precisely these Unsung Heroes which the Lord-Lieutenant wishes to celebrate and recognise for their contributions, through extending an invitation to attend a special garden party held each summer at her home.
The 2025 garden party will be held on Saturday 28th June. If you know of an Unsung Hero whom you would like to nominate to receive an invitation, please use the form below to tell us more about them. Please note that it may not be possible to extend an invitation to all nominees.