Buckingham Palace cancels garden parties for 2021

Announcement comes as Boris Johnson puts England into lockdown for a third time

(Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that its annual garden parties will not take place this year.

The invite-only events are viewed as a highlight in the royal summer calendar and are attended by tens of thousands of people.

However, now that England has entered its third lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic (Scotland has also just gone into lockdown), the Palace has announced that the garden parties have been cancelled for 2021.

Three events are normally held at Buckingham Palace in London and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

A palace spokesperson said: "The decision has been taken that garden parties will not take place in 2021."

It comes after royal garden parties were also cancelled for 2020 due to the first UK lockdown in March, April and May.

The garden parties are seen as an opportunity for the royal family to meet and greet a variety of people across British society and to thank them for the services and good deeds they have done. 

There is a particular emphasis on celebrating the country’s unsung heroes and heroines.

The garden parties are also famous for their dress codes, with men encouraged to wear morning dress or lounge suits while women typically wear dresses with hats or fascinators.

Proceedings usually begin at 3pm and, at 4pm, members of the royal family will enter while a military brass band plays the national anthem.

Tea and cake is usually served and the Queen often situates herself in the royal tent where she will meet a select group of guests.

The royal garden parties are an annual tradition that date back to the 1860s, when Queen Victoria would host regular breakfast events for certain members of British society.