Published on: 13th June 2024
By Vanessa, a volunteer at LPFT
In March I received amazing news that our volunteer team had nominated myself and another volunteer to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace for our contributions to volunteering with LPFT. The Lord Lieutenants Office then got in touch, confirming our attendance on 21 May 2024. I was thrilled to be nominated, and the first person I called was my sister, Charlotte, who lives in London. Charlotte quickly became my plus one! Of course, the next conundrum was what 
to wear?
The event came around ever so quickly, and we were suited, booted and palace-ready right in the nick of time; although an emergency visit to Primark was necessary at 9:45pm the evening before. Who knew Primark stayed open that late? It’s definitely a London thing!
The next morning was the ‘big day’, and the heavens opened and remained open for 24 hours. In the morning, sporting hair rollers, I made an emergency visit to a corner shop to get a brolly. After a couple of rounds of novice hair grooming, I was on the road!
The queue was equivalent to that of a rock concert, and while we were getting acquainted with other volunteers from all over the UK, to break monotony, we were joking about who we were going to see. I suggested Eric Clapton!
And then we were in! What an amazing feeling to finally make it through the fabulous Buckingham Palace gates! We entered through the Hyde Park entrance and were welcomed by a stunning garden filled with rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnificent pink roses. I never thought I would call a garden breath-taking, but there were no other words for it. The lawns were perfectly manicured, and the lakes were beautiful and graced with ducks and swans. We then made it to the rear lawns of the palace – such a contrast to the world-famous frontage, with a lovely veranda. Two bands were playing, giving it a real sense of occasion. By this point we were wet and windswept, and my hat had already blown off a few times. The crowds were starting to form parallel lines lengthways along the lawn to welcome the royals into the garden, but we made a beeline for the marquee. A hot drink and shelter were in order.
The afternoon tea was a major highlight for us, and beyond scrumptious!
I’ve had various afternoon teas in London and Lincolnshire over the years, and this was simply the best! My sister had the vegan option, and she was chuffed that the caterers had made so much effort. The lemon tart was her favourite.
I had the regular afternoon tea, and it was so good I went back for seconds - two more cucumber sandwiches and an extra mini coffee éclair. We could have stayed there all afternoon. The atmosphere in the marquee was akin to a hive of bees – buzzing!
It was time to mingle and to brave the relentless rain once more. We congregated close to the Beefeaters, and started to circulate, landing a stone’s throw from the Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Beatrice.
The crowd kept moving like a gaggle of geese, desperate to get a little closer to any royal. The royals then made their way to their tent for afternoon tea. We then headed closer to the veranda-end of the lawn and stood by the band. There were a few ladies having a little boogie next to the band. Similarly, we didn’t let the rain dampen our spirits.
The band were motivational, and started playing Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. We just sang along and all you could hear in the background was the rain lashing down on the gazebo above the musicians. At this moment in time, Travis would have been spot on.
As we headed towards the end of our time at Buckingham Palace, guests started to form lines from the bottom of the garden right up to the main entrance. It was intense – 8,000 people all with the same objective in mind! After much umbrella poking, we managed to get to a better position in the crowds.
As the royal party left, we saw, among others: Theresa May, the Duchess of Gloucester; Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice; Zara and Mike Tindall; and finally, Prince William, which got the crowd very excited.
As the garden party ended, Zara and Mike Tindall, plus Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice made their way into the side entrance of the palace. Prince William exited in a black Range Rover, escorted by his security team and the police. The crowd dispersed.
Reflecting on the past year… who would have thought that what started as a gardening interest with patients would have led to a royal event? I’ve loved every minute encouraging patients’ interest in growing their own produce, learning new skills, and being sustainable, but above all else, playing a part in their recovery.
It was an honour to represent LPFT at Buckingham Palace.
If you are interested in volunteering at LPFT, please visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/volunteering to find out more.
