Royal Garden Party Thursday 29th May

Memo to self:  Don't wear stiletto high heels to Garden Parties!

Why is it that so many women decide to wear their highest heels to walk about on grass for three hours?  I was not the only one having trouble when one found oneself slowly sinking into the Buckingham Palace turf - a bit like quicksand to the unwary and your shoes don't necessarily follow the feet when you move. 

This was the second of three garden parties planned across three consecutive weeks and the weather this time was no better than the weather on the 22nd.  Cold, dull and not a hint of sunshine.  A fairly typical English summer garden party in other words.  With several thousand attending from the great and the good it is a magnificent feat of organisation - ensuring everyone gets tea. The Royal Family and their household are expert in managing these matters.

I got to speak with the Duke of Edinburgh at some length, an honorary Freeman of our company, and he recalled coming to the Charter Event at Guildhall in 2010.  "You had a female Master back then" he said "and now I get to meet another". I replied that women are slowly taking over.

I have been to Buckingham Palace before on several occasions, including attending Garden Parties, so it was all fairly familiar - but one appreciates that people come from all over the country to enjoy the privilege of being regally entertained in the Queen's back garden for an afternoon.  Certainly a lot of Mayors and Lady Mayors sporting very hefty chains and badges of office - I realised that livery companies are really quite modest in their bling in contrast. A fair sprinkling of Livery Masters too who we will be seeing yet again in Ironbridge next week.  For avid Royal Watchers it was a memorable day but how much better had the sun shone.