King Charles joked about getting older and received compliments on his recent US trip from historian Tom Holland during a Buckingham Palace garden party attended by nearly 8,000 guests on Tuesday.
Royal Greetings and Conversations
The King, wearing a morning suit with a grey waistcoat and top hat, appeared on the West Terrace as the national anthem played. Queen Camilla wore a white crepe dress, a white wool coat by Anna Valentine, a Philip Treacy hat, and a diamond brooch once belonging to the Queen Mother.
As the royals mingled, Charles stopped to speak with Virginia Cavill, who was in a wheelchair after breaking her ankle. The King remarked, "This is the trouble as you get older, I know it's going to happen to me." When asked how he was, he smiled and said, "I'm OK, I totter along."
Heroic Train Driver Recognised
The King also spoke to Matthew Leburn, a Southern Railway train driver who stopped his train after spotting a 15-year-old girl contemplating suicide. Mr Leburn described how he saw her in distress, stopped the train, and persuaded her to board before administering first aid. Charles asked if such incidents were common, to which Mr Leburn replied, "Unfortunately, there's a lot of trespasses on the railway."
Festivities and Atmosphere
Despite grey clouds, guests enjoyed tea, cakes, sandwiches, and ice cream. Yeomen of the Guard in ceremonial dress processed through the gardens as military bands played wartime classics and popular covers. Typical summer gatherings see around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches, and 20,000 slices of cake consumed.
Historian Tom Holland, host of The Rest Is History podcast, described meeting the King as "surreal" and praised his US speech. Tuesday's event was the third garden party this month celebrating community service.
