Prince Charles and his camilla braved the rain for the first royal garden party of the summer – with his mother queen Elizabeth absent.
The heir to the united kingdoms throne, 73, is increasingly stepping in for his 96-year-old mom, who is suffering from episodic mobility issues.
Queen Elizabeth traditionally opens her vast garden at Buckingham palace to hundreds of guests for the three summer garden parties.
The parties recognize public service and are attended by other members of her family too.
They open at 4pm when a military band plays god save the queen, then royals mingle with the invited guests to thank them for their work.
But the queen has been absent from recent events, including the state opening of parliament, where prince Charles took her place this week.
The parties are never canceled for bad weather, so guests often bring umbrellas.
Camilla followed the queens practice of using a transparent umbrella to be visible.
The guests eat cucumber sandwiches, scones, cakes and drink tea – and beefeaters, known as yoeman warders, parade across the lawn.
