Cucumber sandwiches at the Queen's Garden Party

The best day of my life to date. It started by practising how to curtsy while waiting for the train. We arrived at the Comfort Inn for a very quick change into our ‘afternoon dress’, and then we walked to Buckingham palace with lots of others dressed like we were going to a posh wedding. You could tell who was going to the Queen’s Garden Party. We queued in front of the palace and then it was our turn to walk through the black gates at the front of the palace…which felt good. We took loves of pictures in front of the palace, then walked through the quadrangle and through the door where Kate and Will walked into the palace after their wedding. The rooms were very plush, with old furniture and portraits on the walls. Then we were out to the garden, which was stunning.

From the terrace, we walked the perimeter of the garden where you can’t really hear the traffic unless you are on the edges. We passed the summer house, the fragrant rose garden and the lake. The national anthem played to announce the arrival of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. We were formed in queues by the ushers in their top hat and tails. Luckily we were right in the front. Some guests were called forwards to meet the queen. The family by us were asked, the man worked for the home office and the woman was a food taster so I listened as the queen spoke about preservatives. She was about 2m in front of me and I just wanted to hug her! She looks like a grandma in her lilac outfit with black shoes and handbag. As the Queen walked on, we then joined the line to see the Duke of Edinburgh and then it was itme for afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea consisted of amazing apple juice, cucumber and mint sandwiches, egg mayo sandwiches and ginger cake. The crusts were taken off the sandwiches. We sat on the side of the lake and had our afternoon tea. After tea we stood on the balcony as the royals left. We were told by an usher that never before have so many royals attended a garden party. the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Coenwall, Countess of Wessex; the Princess Royal; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke of Kent; Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy. As the Duchess of Cambridge was alone and it was her first garden party, she was escorted by her father in law, Prince Charles.
 

We stood by the cars as the royals left in their cars to a round of applause. We then sat under a row of trees while guests left the garden party. The national anthem marked the end of the garden party. We stood on the terrace, looking at the main tea tent, royal and diplomatic tea tents. We event saw the royal transit van with ERII on the license plate and crown on the front.

I was invited for services to diversity, especially the Women’s Network and can honestly say we had the time of our lives, something to remember for the rest of our lives.