The King has granted special permission for Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent to host Garden Parties in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Traditionally, three official Garden Parties are held each year - two at Buckingham Palace and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. However, it has been customary for the monarch to authorize additional parties in support of charitable causes.

This year, the 75-year-old King has given his consent for Princess Anne, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, to host The Not Forgotten Association Annual Garden Party at the palace.

As the Patron of The Not Forgotten Association, Anne will gather 2,000 beneficiaries of the charity in the Buckingham Palace gardens for an afternoon of socializing. The association, a tri-service charity, offers entertainment, leisure, and recreation for ex-service men and women with disabilities or illnesses, as well as serving personnel who are wounded, injured, or sick.

The association's annual event has been held at Buckingham Palace every year since 1921, with the monarch consistently granting permission for the party to take place at their official London residence.

Additionally, The King has approved Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent to host the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, May 23.

To commemorate the charity's bicentenary, 2,500 long-serving volunteers, staff, and their families will come together for the event. The Duke of Kent has served as President of the RNLI since March 25, 1969. During his 55-year tenure, the RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crews and beach lifeguards have saved over 51,000 lives.

The Garden Party will feature an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, symbolizing the RNLI's commitment to saving lives at sea. Photo by Cristian Bortes from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Wikimedia commons.