Court Circular

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

20 July: The Lord Vestey (Lord Prior of the Order of St John) was received by The Queen.

Mr Richard Edis (Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Maputo) and Mrs Edis were received by Her Majesty.

The Queen held a Council at 12.40pm.

There were present:

The Right Hon Antony Newton MP (Lord President), the Baroness Chalker of Wallasey (Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office), the Right Hon Malcolm Rifkind MP (Secretary of State for Defence) and the Right Hon Gillian Shephard MP (Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food).

Mr Nigel Nicholls was in attendance as Clerk of the Council.

The Right Hon Antony Newton MP had an audience of Her Majesty before the Council.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave an Afternoon Party in the Garden of Buckingham Palace.

The Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy and the Hon Sir Angus Ogilvy were present.

Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at- Arms and The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard were on duty.

The Band of the Scots Guards and the Central Band of the Royal Air Force played selections of music during the afternoon.

The Duke of Edinburgh, President, this morning held a meeting of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee at Buckingham Palace.

His Royal Highness left Heathrow Airport, London, this evening for Germany.

Brigadier Miles Hunt-Davis was in attendance.

Mrs John Dugdale has succeeded the Lady Elton as Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen.

ROYAL ENGAGEMENTS

The Queen holds an Investiture; and later, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, dines with Officers of The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard at St James's Palace. The Prince of Wales, Patron, the Royal Tournament, attends the Royal Tournament, Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, London SW5. The Princess of Wales, Patron, The Natural History Museum, visits the scientific departments of the museum, London SW7. Princess Alice visits the East of England Show at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. The Duke of Gloucester attends a Reception to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Royal Air Forceat, at Guildhall, London EC2. The Duke of Kent, Patron, opens the British Defence Industries Hall, The Tank Museum, Royal Armoured Corps Centre, Bovington, Wareham, Dorset; and, as Patron, British Menswear Guild, visits Reynolds and Kent Limited, Westbury, Wiltshire.

Changing of the Guard

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment mounts the Queen's Life Guard at Horse Guards, 11am.

Bands playing in the Royal Parks

St James's Park, South Nottinghamshire Hussars Band, 12.30pm-2pm, 5.30pm-7pm.