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Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen tells guests at Buckingham Palace garden party: “We love having another girl” in the family

The joy a baby brings is contagious, as Her Majesty The Queen is finding out. At the first garden party of the season, The Queen couldn’t help but share the excitement of the addition of a bouncing baby girl into the Royal Family.

The wonderful sunny day brought about 8,000 guests to the gardens at Buckingham Palace to enjoy an afternoon of tea and biscuits.

Her Majesty, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and other members of the Royal Family, wandered through the crowds greeting their guests.

Among some of the luckily few chosen to meet The Queen were Susan Pollack, 84, and her daughter Sandra Gee, 53, of north London. Speaking about the event, Mrs. Pollack said: “I told her I am so happy at the arrival of the new baby. I said congratulations, and she said ‘Yes, we love to have another girl’.”

“She smiled at that. She was very relaxed and enjoying the event.”

“She is absolutely wonderful, delightful and easy to engage with.”

“She asked about my history and the work I have done. I mentioned that I had been speaking at schools for 28 years, and she was interested in that.”

Sandra Gee chimed in, saying: “She said how pleased she was to have another great-granddaughter in particular.”

Carole Weston, who wore pink to celebrate the birth of Princess Charlotte, also had a chat with The Queen. She said: “I did say I thought I would put something pink on to mark the fact it was a princess.

“I said congratulations on your new granddaughter – she corrected me and said ‘No, great-granddaughter.

“It was a lovely experience.”

The Duchess of Cornwall also met with party goers and spoke to a couple, David and Jayne Alexander, who will be racing across India in tuk-tuks to raise money for the Elephant Family which David is patron of. It is the same charity that the Duchess’ late brother, Mark Shand, supported.

Other members due to take place in the five-day race are Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, the Duchess’ son Tom Parker Bowles, and model Yasmin Le Bon and her daughter Amber.

Jayne Alexander said: “She mentioned that both her children are going to be there.”

Garden parties have been held at Buckingham Palace since the 1860s. Over 30,000 people attend the parties each year, this was the first of three at Buckingham Palace, and one more will be held in Edinburgh at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Photo Credit: UK Ministry of Defence via Flickr