The King and Queen held their first garden party of the summer season at Buckingham Palace, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Vegas, a two-year-old cocker spaniel trained as a Hearing Dog for the Deaf. The adorable pup managed to jump up at three senior royals—Their Majesties and the Princess Royal—and even started digging up the palace lawn, leaving Princess Anne roaring with laughter and promising not to tell her brother.
A Memorable Encounter
The event saw 8,000 worthy members of the public, many of them first responders, invited to enjoy tea, cucumber sandwiches, and cake in the gardens of the King's official London residence. Guests were largely chosen for their good work by Lord Lieutenants across the country. Despite the unseasonable chill, visitors turned up in their finery, and the band played rousing versions of Stevie Wonder and Austin Powers hits to keep the mood upbeat.
The King was first to encounter Vegas with her owner, Kate Wilson, 52, from Horsham, West Sussex. The pup did not stand on ceremony, jumping up and licking the sovereign's hand furiously. Charles did not appear to mind her paws on his morning suit and fondly stroked her head, remarking, 'They do hearing dogs too, now? Marvellous.'
Queen Camilla, dressed in an elegant pale blue Fiona Clare suit and matching Philip Treacy hat with a moonstone brooch, met Vegas away from the cameras. But the dog stole the limelight again with Princess Anne, who is patron of the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf charity. Stopping to say hello, the King's sister was equally unfazed, bending down as Vegas jumped up wagging her tail. Anne beamed and cooed, 'Is it everyone or is it just me?' She asked about Vegas's age and whether Kate had had a hearing dog before. Kate explained that Vegas was her first and that she was a teacher whose life had been transformed by the dog.
At that point, Vegas appeared to get bored and started digging frantically at the lawn. Kate apologised, but Anne smiled and waved her hands, saying, 'Oh it's quite alright. It's a good size.' Kate joked that Vegas was 'digging for truffles,' to which Anne replied, 'Good luck with that! Let me know if you find any!'
Life-Changing Support
After the encounter, Kate said: 'She's a wonderful lady with all the work she does. I'm a teacher and having Vegas has changed everything for me. It means she can alert me to things that are going on or alarms going off. And it means my son can leave me alone without worrying. It's been life-changing. She does jump up a little but everyone took it in their stride.'
The King was also accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who spent more than an hour greeting guests. Princess Anne assured Kate that Vegas's behaviour was 'quite alright' and promised not to tell her brother Charles.
Other Highlights
During the garden party, a woman in the crowd told the King she 'loved' his speech in the US last week, and Charles thanked her 'very much.' He also tried to speak and understand a little Welsh, saying he needed to keep practising. The King chatted sympathetically to Claire Swinburne, 42, a paramedic leader from Northumberland who was attacked by a man while responding to a call on Christmas Day. Charles said assaults on emergency workers are unacceptable.
Queen Camilla met with hundreds of members of the public and charity workers, including from Safe Lives, a domestic abuse charity she supports. She told them, 'You do a fantastic job.'
