May 22, 2012

May 22, 2012, was the date for one of the garden party at Buckingham Palace. These are huge events, with thousands of people invited, and certain members of the Royal family move among the guests, stopping to talk, with certain pre-selected guests. There is food, everybody dresses up, and this has been since World War II ended, a British tradition--- several of these garden parties are held each year.
Each year, that is, except when there are Olympic Games scheduled in London, and a Diamond Jubilee to celebrate. In 2012 only two garden parties were scheduled. And, although the Queen "loves" these events, there are hints that an attempt to economize is also a reason there were only two scheduled that year. We have this insider information, on the tradition:

"Guests at the parties nibble their way through 420,000 cucumber sandwiches and cakes each summer. When, one year, silver-plated teaspoons were used with the Queen’s head on them – instead of the usual plastic ones – 1,000 out of the 5,000 teaspoons disappeared."

According to a Palace spokesman:

“What is especially expensive is the rental of the marquees. The money made available for these events by the Civil List has remained the same for 20 years.’’

Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, which television series has only one scene with one cat in it -- from a window sill in the sitting room of the dowager counntess, a cat leaps to the floor--has this to say about the economies at Buckingham Palace: “It makes me angry that people quibble over the money available for things like this.’’