Tea with the Windsors: an invitation from the queen

By Christoph Driessen Jul 22, 2010, 7:55 GMT

London - Every year Britain's Queen Elizabeth invites some of her subjects to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The invitations are extended to people who have accomplished something or deserve recognition for having served the country.

A lucky few get to have a conversation with her. But the guests should remember to turn off their mobiles phones.

'Her Majesty requests ... ' is how the invitation begins.

A more exclusive social event - at least in the UK - could hardly be imagined. There are three garden parties every year, usually in July.

The ceremony has barely changed since the days of Queen Victoria who reigned through most of the 19th century. At 3 pm the gates of the palace open and about 8,000 guests stream in, shuffling straight through the royal residence and into the garden.

The guests are supposed to represent a cross section of UK society. They are expected to dress in their finest clothing, although this can be differently defined. In the past some people have chosen head-dresses featuring a cornucopia of vegetables over stylish hats.

Buckingham Palace park - the word garden is a huge understatement - is normally open only to members of the royal family and their guests. It is surrounded by a high wall.

Even from the top level of a double-decker bus it's nearly impossible to catch a glimpse of it. The green oasis is an urban retreat for rare plants and animals. Owls, bats, kingfishers and wild orchids make their homes there.

Guests are therefore advised to roam about the grounds with care. The palace still has unpleasant memories of a US visitor in 2003, namely president George W Bush, who hovered over the park in a helicopter and landed on the royal lawn.

At 4 pm the queen steps onto the terrace and descends the stairs into the garden. With the help of her footmen the crowd parts to form a corridor through which she strolls.

Guests who were selected in advance are allowed to step a few metres forward and have a short conversation with the monarch. The other guests must remain in place, keeping a respectful distance. This is usually a big moment for the guests and many of them have to catch their breath.

The queen is said to be a master of small talk. In the two or three minutes she allows for such encounters, she gives the person she is talking with the feeling that there is no more burning topic in the world than the one being discussed.

During once such conversation with a young woman the guest's mobile phone began ringing. The woman tried to ignore it, but the queen told her to answer it, remarking that 'it might be someone important.'

After the queen has done her round, the guests turn their attention to the 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 miniature cakes served with tea and coffee.

Four-hundred servers are there to help and two bands add music to the atmosphere. Wherever a member of the royal family appears, the guests break into spontaneous applause.

Around 6 pm the garden party comes to an end. Some guests pocket a royal silver spoon as a memento. Everyone who attends has at the very least a story to tell at the end of their afternoon in the palace garden.