Buckingham Palace – An Extra Ordinary Garden Party
When the invite dropped into my inbox for a visit to the palace, I honestly thought it was a joke.
Could it be spam? An invite from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to celebrate the creative and cultural industries…but I had 24 hours to respond to say whether I was going or not, who I was taking with me and a series of security questions from us both!
As a socialist, whose family has been directly affected by imperialism, the decision to go was a struggle, if I am honest.
The big reason I decided to go was that I knew I wanted to take an artist, a fellow freelancer, with me. To share this opportunity with a colleague felt important. I had a few things on my list for who might come with me:
A freelance artist
Someone who I would enjoy spending time with for a whole day
Someone I work with regularly and who shares my values for the arts in the North East
Kay Greyson hit all three of those points.
To the Palace with Kay Greyson
For those of you who don’t know her, Kay is an African-Caribbean Geordie rapper, writer, theatre maker and facilitator from the West End of Newcastle. She has been working in music for over 15 years, and at 26, that is a strong base for her success! She has recently been signed to EMI North as one of their anchor artists and works tirelessly with the creative community, supporting the global majority of creatives to be their best.
On the day, we travelled down to London – bumping into loads of creative professionals on the way. Rebecca Ball from Sunderland Culture and her husband Dominic Parker – Director of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Keith Merrin from Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums; Carol Alevroyianni from Whitley Bay Carnival; John Mowbray – the chair of the MAC Trust and co-chair of the Sunderland Empire.
We also bumped into Amy and Jen from Curious Monkey at Kings Cross! The questions on everyone’s lips are: What shoes are you wearing, and do you have a hat?
As we walked into the palace with the 4,000 attendees, it didn’t matter who you were – everyone seemed to be overwhelmed by the experience of walking through the gates. Despite DCMS staff keeping the line moving, most people managed to catch a quick shot in front of the palace.
The Palace and Gardens
The palace's history is truly epic, with it entering the royal family as a family home for Queen Charlotte in 1761 and becoming the main royal residence in 1837 on Queen Victoria’s ascent to the throne. When in the presence of history, I think of those who would have trodden the same ground. The British Royal Family isn’t for everyone, but the history does link to how we are viewed globally now—good and bad.
The Gardens are stunning, and you would be forgiven for forgetting we were right slap bang in the centre of London. The only clue being the odd building peaking over the top of the lush green trees. The sun was shining, and the tea was pouring – with creatives and celebrities mingling on the lawn. King Charles and Queen Camilla joined us from the palace steps – with Queen Camilla greeting the crowds while the King was ushered to the King’s tent. The King’s staff also come out into the crowd and chat with the public – with hilarious questions about what people do and whether work is privately funded.
I had gone with networking in mind, but I will be honest: the overwhelm set in. The North East was there in force, and as we promenaded around the lawns and the lake, it felt like an episode of Bridgerton. We greeted each other, usually with the exclamation of “Isn’t this wild?”.
Another person we bumped into during the party was Sir Nicholas Serota – Chair of Arts Council England. Nick (as he introduces himself) said the garden party had been a specific request from King Charles himself, as he understands the value of the arts and culture in our country.
Where are all the artists?
One big observation – there weren’t very many artists, not from the North East anyway. Lots of leaders of organisations, chairs of boards and partners of invitees (my partner is still grumpy I didn’t choose him as my plus 1). It did feel a little strange to be celebrating an industry that is built off the back of creatives without them. I was proud to have Kay by my side and even more proud to film her palace freestyle on the lawn. I have been congratulated for taking an artist, which is unwarranted, and I do not accept. I would highly recommend, if such a garden party is to happen again, there be a request from the DCMS to hold the organisational +1s for freelance artists and creatives, as well as having a bigger invite list direct to artists or an opportunity for artists to be nominated. The onus needs to be on the organisers, as I know from personal experience that it is hard to say to your partner and other close colleagues that they aren’t coming with you!
It felt frivolous and ridiculous, but it was an experience I am glad I had. I am super proud Kay came with me, and I am just sorry I couldn’t we couldn’t have shared the grass with more North East Artists!
Would I rather the money spent on the garden party go on the work? Of course. Garden parties apparently set the British public back £500,000 a year.
Questions I’ve been asked a lot!
How was the food?
The dairy-free options were meh—I think they had done the lazy thing of making allergen plates of dairy and gluten-free food. But the other food looked amazing, and people had great things to say about the cakes and the ice cream.
What were the toilets like?
They were in a prefab building and resembled an M&S Toilet. They were fine, but not as fancy as I had expected!
Did you take anything?
I couldn’t possibly say.
How did you get invited?
Arts Council England, DCMS, and other bodies put together a guest list. I have no idea whose list I was on, though I guess it may be due to my involvement in the DCMS Review Panel.
Did you see any famous people?
Yes—but I was so overwhelmed that I also missed loads! I saw Vernon Kay, Tess Daly, Louis Theroux, and Arlene Philips. Apparently, Lenny Henry and Maya Jama were there, too—but I didn’t see them! There were loads of others as well.
The royals who were there were the King and Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh (Edward), and the Duchess of Gloucester.
Did you get to meet the King?
Nope! But I saw him, and Queen Camilla stood right before us.
What was the biggest surprise?
How few people use SPF! Seriously, you guys should put it on all the time. I have Asian skin, so I don’t burn, but burning is such a small part of the damage, man. After being in the sun all afternoon, too many people came out of the party with little red faces.
Oh, and also how many other socialists were there donning their finery!
