Brolly bad luck...
Wettest garden party for William and his cousins
THE Prince of Wales was bolstered by a team of younger royals yesterday as he hosted a soggy garden party for his father, who was continuing treatment for cancer.
William, 41, gallantly held his umbrella over several guests who had forgotten theirs as he chatted with them in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
“If this weather carries on it will be perfect for swimming,” he joked with one.
In a public display of family unity, he was joined by cousins Princess Beatrice, 35, Princess Eugenie, 34, Peter Phillips, 46, and Zara Tindall, 43, as well as her husband Mike, 45.
It appeared that the women had consulted each other in advance on their outfits, with all three coordinating in various hues of pink. Zara accessorised her stunning £1,500 white dress by Laura Green London with pink buttons, a Rosa Boater hat and suede stilettos, which she fitted with plastic heel caps to stop her sinking into the lawn.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also in attendance to support William as he took charge in the King’s absence.
Charles, 75, who led the first two garden parties of this summer – followed by his sister Princess Anne for the third – is expected to return to duties later this week, including a trip to Crewe on Friday.
His Majesty is fitting in appointments around weekly cancer treatments in London. Yesterday his heir made a beeline for the Reverend Squadron Leader Chrissie Lacey, who bakes hundreds of cookies each month for everyone at RAF Coningsby in Norfolk.
William revealed to her that his eldest boy Prince George, 10, would love to visit the base, as he is a “potential pilot in the making”.
He also told the serving padre: “I hear you’re the cookie lady!” – prompting her to pull out a packet of freshly baked biscuits from her bag and hand it to him.
“I love cookies!” he exclaimed before adding: “I promise you that wasn’t a fishing expedition but I will take them all the same, this is amazing!”
He then heard how she gets up at 5am at least once a month to make hundreds of the biscuits with ingredients she pays for herself as part of her “cookie ministry”.
William also talked to guests from his and wife Kate’s patronages, including his Homewards initiative to help combat homelessness, RAF Valley – the Welsh base where he worked as an RAF search and rescue pilot – Swim England and tenants across the Duchy of Cornwall sites.
Aspiring author Rowan Aderyn, who was homeless in her 20s, excitedly handed him a book she had written about a young boy called Jack living on the streets.
Taking the copy, which the author said “was one of only 10 in the world”, William said: “This is great, so inspirational.
“I’ll read this to Louis tonight at bedtime.”