Buckingham Palace Royal Garden Party. Anyone else been?

[ChanceSchmerr]

Hey everyone,

I know that FOH isn't exactly a monarchist haven but I thought I would ask anyway - As a Canadian living in the UK, I've managed to get invited to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this afternoon with my wife, through the Cdn High Commission. As I get my uniform ready I'm quite excited at what the day may bring, but also unsure too - how big a deal is this? I've heard that thousands of people get invited every year.

My question - has anyone on here ever been invited to such an event? If so, what can I expect?

And fellas - anyone who wants to express their personal anti-monarchy beliefs, please kindly keep it to yourself and refrain from posting. I serve my navy and my country proudly and have sworn a oath of loyalty to the Crown to do so - I respect your opinion if you don't like the monarchy, but on a day like today, I ask that you keep it to yourself. If you insult the Crown, you insult the people who wear a uniform and serve in the Crown's name. Thank you.

[ChanceSchmerr]

And although I'd love to bring a great cigar to share with one of the Royal Family - I can't determine if any of them actually likes cigars! Rob Fox told me that JJ Fox had the Royal Warrant for the Queen Mother, but that's the last member of the family that I can determine that smoked....

[LordAnubis]

How much would you be kicking yourself though if you didn't take a cigar with you?

But nice man! Enjoy your evening!

[...]

Congrats and hopefully you'll enjoy the experience!

[CaptainQuintero]

Congrats, yep its every year, a summer buffet type is provided. Cucumber sandwiches and scones etc. I'm pretty sure you get to wander around the house too.

The Queen used to carry around a pack of cigarettes in her hand bag so she probably smoked, with the workload change it might be more likely to have Charles and Camilla there.

You might be more likely to smoke with the odd wandering Colonel etc, there's usually some top brass from the blues and royals/ lifeguards etc

[OZCUBAN]

Great news Chris,hope you have a ball.I personally would slip in a something Tubo if the chance allows great if not nothing lost

cheers mate H.A.G.O

Steve

[laficion]

Hi there Chris,

Congratulations,on you both for landing a invitation to this event. As to what cigar and to who would like one ,who cares ?

Take a cigar for yourself and one or two If you find somebody to share It with If they do like It.

If no one will join you, too bad for them .

Guy

[Squarehead]

Enjoy this event Chris and soak it all in.Keep us posted please.

[Ken Gargett]

yes, went many years ago. good fun.

not nearly as much fun as the royal box or enclosure or whatever at ascot. get an invite to that whatever you do. though i never got out of the car park - which is the royal ascot golf club. a mate put the car of the victorian agent-general in a bunker and we held human races around the track after. getting over steeples when pissed is not easy.

the thing i remember from buck house is the makeshift toilets. never been in better. marble sinks, gold taps etc etc.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Thanks everyone! Ken - awesome to hear that I know someone else who has been. Did you get to meet the Queen or one of the other Royals when you went? We are trying to get to the Royal Enclosure for Ascot - should hear about that in a few days or so. Sounds like it is a gas

In short order - we ended up going with another couple, the guy is a former boss of mine, now a LCdr posted to Bristol on exchange, so we went with them to the Palace in a hired car - a Tesla that we got for no additional price

We got to the palace around 2 pm. Not been in the multi-hundred person queue for 5 minutes before being approached by 2 policemen....who promptly tell us that all folks in Military uniform and their spouses were to be moved to the front of the line by Palace Order. Okay! So to the front of the line we went.

After entering the Palace about 30 mins later, we were admiring the open area of the garden from the large porch, when we were approached by a tall man in a top hat, who introduced himself as an assistance to the Lord Chamberlain....and after talking with us for a bit, he asked if we would liked to be presented to Her Majesty.

We met the Queen. Shook her hand. Talked to her about for a few minutes. One of about 2 dozen folks chosen to meet her. In front of crowds of thousands. It was incredible. She is exactly as pleasant and a joy to speak with as you would expect from seeing her on TV. I have no more words to describe it. Wow.

And I forgot entirely to bring a cigar with me. Didn't even have time. I met the Queen. Wow.

Now what to smoke to celebrate? RyJ Prince of Wales? Bolivar Royal Corona? Bolivar Regentes? H Upmann Monarcas? Hoyo du Roi? Punch Monarcas? Punch Royal Selection 11 or 12? LOL

I think I might just try to find a Por Larranaga Magnificos, pay the fortune for 1 cigar, and smoke that.

[...]

Niiice! You are now officially royalty by association

Glad you got to have your expectations blown away and enjoyed the experience!

[LordAnubis]

don't wash.your.hand!!!!!!

[Smallclub]

Now what to smoke to celebrate? RyJ Prince of Wales? Bolivar Royal Corona? Bolivar Regentes? H Upmann Monarcas? Hoyo du Roi? Punch Monarcas? Punch Royal Selection 11 or 12? LOL

I think it's the right time and place to burn a Hoyo de Monterey Jeanne d'Arc!

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand.aspx?brand=Hoyo_de_Monterrey#Jeanne_D%C2%B4Arc

Or a Partagas Regalias de la Reina Bueno (but not a Presidente of course)

Great story, good for you!

[Squarehead]

Cool,very cool

[Ken Gargett]

Thanks everyone! Ken - awesome to hear that I know someone else who has been. Did you get to meet the Queen or one of the other Royals when you went? We are trying to get to the Royal Enclosure for Ascot - should hear about that in a few days or so. Sounds like it is a gas

In short order - we ended up going with another couple, the guy is a former boss of mine, now a LCdr posted to Bristol on exchange, so we went with them to the Palace in a hired car - a Tesla that we got for no additional price

We got to the palace around 2 pm. Not been in the multi-hundred person queue for 5 minutes before being approached by 2 policemen....who promptly tell us that all folks in Military uniform and their spouses were to be moved to the front of the line by Palace Order. Okay! So to the front of the line we went.

After entering the Palace about 30 mins later, we were admiring the open area of the garden from the large porch, when we were approached by a tall man in a top hat, who introduced himself as an assistance to the Lord Chamberlain....and after talking with us for a bit, he asked if we would liked to be presented to Her Majesty.

We met the Queen. Shook her hand. Talked to her about for a few minutes. One of about 2 dozen folks chosen to meet her. In front of crowds of thousands. It was incredible. She is exactly as pleasant and a joy to speak with as you would expect from seeing her on TV. I have no more words to describe it. Wow.

And I forgot entirely to bring a cigar with me. Didn't even have time. I met the Queen. Wow.

Now what to smoke to celebrate? RyJ Prince of Wales? Bolivar Royal Corona? Bolivar Regentes? H Upmann Monarcas? Hoyo du Roi? Punch Monarcas? Punch Royal Selection 11 or 12? LOL

I think I might just try to find a Por Larranaga Magnificos, pay the fortune for 1 cigar, and smoke that.

didn't meet the queen. think i only saw her as a dot in the distance. did meet charles a few years earlier at an event in brizzy and got to talk to him for about 30 minutes (was with a group of 2-3 other blokes from outward bound at the time). really interesting bloke. completely natural. liked him a lot. he'd been at timber tops school in australia and we compared the two.

the days at ascot were some of the best days i ever had in london. so much fun.

[madandana]

Nice, what a great memory.

[Duxnutz]

Congratulations.

Shook hands with George Bush Jr a few years ago and while I very much think his leadership was a joke, he himself was warm and pleasant.

I've run into our own ex-Prime Minister (K Rudd) a couple times and couldn't be less impressed.

I think the young Royals (Will and Harry) would be good value.

[wabashcr]

My goodness, what an incredible honor! Congratulations!

[Fuzz]

Great story and one to tell the grand kids in years to come.

[JohnS]

I'm elated for you Chris! Thank you for sharing this joyous experience.

[Imjonesy]

Chris, this is the coolest story I've heard in a long while. Congratulations on meeting Her Majesty - WOW! Maybe a good thing you hadn't smoked before hand ....

Very cool...

[Ken Gargett]

Congratulations.

Shook hands with George Bush Jr a few years ago and while I very much think his leadership was a joke, he himself was warm and pleasant.

I've run into our own ex-Prime Minister (K Rudd) a couple times and couldn't be less impressed.

I think the young Royals (Will and Harry) would be good value.

never heard anything to the contrary about rudd. utter self-obsessed grub.

when he toppled beasley, i asked a mate, who was/is highly placed in the alp, what the thinking was. "everyone hates the little %$#t. we know we won't win the next election so best if we get rid of him now. he can have his crack and then we can piss him off. no one in any faction likes him. but he won't go away."

unfortunately, he surprised them all and won the election (hardly a ringing endorsement of the intelligence of the electorate if they get fooled by a bloke whose own party can't stand him but shame on them letting him have a crack).

there were alp politicians who were genuinely torn - could not decide if it was better to lose and be rid of rudd or have to suffer him. it was why they moved on him first chance they got and installed gillard. and that went well.

[shlomo]

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/photos/britains-royals-attend-a-garden-party/ss-BBjGh5f?ocid=mailsignoutmd

You make it in the pics?

[El Presidente]

What a great experience Chris!

While only part of the overall experience of studying in London, it certainly makes all the study and hardships of getting there in the first place seem like a lifetime away

[ChanceSchmerr]

Thanks everyone! This has to be the highlight of our time here so far - and you're right Rob, all the troubles getting here seem so distant as to not even exist now

I still havn't really "come down" from yesterday - such a thrill!

No pictures in the papers from the looks of it - the focus is on the Holocaust survivor who was met by Her Majesty a few groups before us - which is absolutely fine with us - she definitely deserves the attention over regular folks like us! Even if we never find a single photograph that captures our chat with the Queen - the memories will last a lifetime.