uno garden parties at Buckingham Palace without King Charles or Queen Camilla, without Kate Middleton or even Prince William, but with only one protagonist: the Queen Elizabeth. Because at the center of the festivities was a canine organization very dear to the sovereign: that Kennels Club of which she had been a supporter and patroness for 70 years.
Queen Elizabeth remembered in a garden parties dedicated to dogs
To do the honors at Buckingham Palace and to welcome thousands of guests on the lawns of the Royal residence, Charles has sent the almost octogenarian Dukes of Gloucester, who after having been rather in the shadow of Elizabeth II, now increasingly take the place King’s. Who had already wanted to reward their loyalty by including them in the official photo of the Coronationon May 6th.
Queen Elizabeth had opened the doors to the Kennel Club
This year the Kennel Cluba British organization dedicated to the welfare of the canine breed, celebrates its 150th anniversary and Queen Elizabeth herself, with the support then of Charles, had given her consent for Buckingham Palace to host staff and all those connected to the organisation. And for the occasion, the king went further, giving the club the royal title: from now on the organization will be called Royal Kennel Club.
The Duchess Gloucester at the Royal Kennel Club garden party, Buckingham Palace, May 24, 2023 (Getty Images)
The patronage after Elizabeth II
Between a glass of champagne and a dessert with strawberries and cream, served under the white awnings set up on the immaculate lawns of the Royal residence, the guests were thus able to converse with the dukes of Gloucester, also accompanied for the occasion by another cousin of the queen Elizabeth, Prince Michael of Kent, current patron of the Royal Kennel Club. But those who expected corgis were disappointed.
No dogs allowed for their own garden parties
Every year, really to the Royal Kennel Club you owe the organization of crufts, famous international dog competition. But on the occasion of garden parties at Buckingham Palace, four-legged animals were not allowed access, with the due exception of a very few assistance dogs.
King Charles and Camilla with their dogs, Bluebell and Beth (IPA)
In addition to Queen Elizabeth’s corgis, now entrusted to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, there was also a lack of Beth and Bluebell, Carlo and Camilla’s Jack Russell Terriers. A breed that, after the coronation of the king, has seen a significant increase in adoptions in Great Britain.
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