The Queen was in high spirits as she hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. Her Majesty appeared to be enjoying the sunny weather as she made a rare appearance in sunglasses, although she still had her trusty umbrella to hand!
Dressed in a vibrant blue dress and matching hat with peacock feathers, the Queen added white gloves, a pearl necklace and sunglasses to complete her ensemble. She laughed and smiled while greeting guests in the gardens of the palace.
The Queen was in high spirits at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party
Her Majesty was joined at the event by her grandchildren Prince William and Princess Eugenie, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra. The royals all mingled with guests, many of whom were invited in recognition of the positive impact they have made in their community.
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Some 8,000 people were invited to the event, and they were entertained by the Band of the Household Cavalry and the Band of Royal Logistic Corps as they chatted and explored the beautiful palace gardens. The event is the second Buckingham Palace Garden Party the Queen has hosted so far in 2018; Her Majesty will welcome more guests to the palace on Tuesday 5 June for the third and final party of the year.
Her Majesty was joined by Prince William and Princess Eugenie at the event
It has been a busy week for Her Majesty, as she also welcomed the Honorable George Brandis, the Australian Commissioner to the United Kingdom, for a private audience on Wednesday morning. Photos from the meeting offered a special glimpse inside the palace, and showed that the Queen had a previously unseen portrait of newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on display, with the stunning snap believed to have been taken as part of the couple's official engagement shoot with photographer Alexi Lubomirski. The monarch also had a never-before-seen portrait of her granddaughter Zara on her wedding day to Mike Tindall, which was spotted by eagle-eyed royal fans on a table in the room.