The King gives permission for Princess Anne and The Duke Of Kent to host their own Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace

The King has granted special permission to both the Princess Royal and the Duke of Kent to host Garden Parties in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Traditionally, three official Garden Parties are held each year – two at Buckingham Palace and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. However, it’s a longstanding tradition that the monarch allows additional parties to be held in aid of charities.

This year, the 75-year-old King has agreed to Princess Anne, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, hosting The Not Forgotten Association Annual Garden Party at the palace.

Anne, the Patron of The Not Forgotten Association, will gather 2,000 beneficiaries of the charity in the Buckingham Palace gardens for an afternoon of socializing.

The association, a tri-service charity, offers entertainment, leisure, and recreation for ex-service men and women with disabilities or illnesses and serving personnel who are wounded, injured, or sick.

In 2023, the Duchess of Edinburgh hosted the association at Buckingham Palace. Since 1921, the event has been held annually, with the monarch consistently granting permission for the party to be hosted at their official London residence.

Additionally, The King has permitted Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent to host the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, May 23.

To commemorate the charity’s bicentenary, 2,500 long-serving volunteers, staff, and their families will gather for the event.

The Duke of Kent has served as President of the RNLI since March 25, 1969. According to Buckingham Palace, during his 55-year presidency, the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews and beach lifeguards have saved more than 51,000 lives.

The Garden Party will showcase 2,500 of the charity’s long-serving volunteers, staff, and their families, along with featuring an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.