Exmoor Young Voices visit Buckingham Palace

It’s not every day you get invited to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace – and guess what? Exmoor Young Voices received two invitations! All thanks to winning The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

But wait…it gets better. His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mr Muhammed Saddiq, kindly invited EYV founder Leslie Silverlock as his guest with a plus one. So, the dream team was complete: Leslie (Founder & Adviser), Will (Chair), Meg (Coordinator), and Josh (Trustee and Pilot Self Builder) all headed off to the big smoke to experience a glorious day fit for royalty!

Now, we’re usually all about single-track lanes and the slower countryside life, so the hustle and bustle of London could have been a shock to the system. Thankfully, Will navigated the busy city streets like a pro (maybe we should make him our official chauffeur). Josh, meanwhile, had the thrilling task of finding the key to our accommodation…hidden in a keysafe padlocked to a random railing. In semi-darkness. No pressure, right? But he did it without breaking a sweat.

After a good night’s sleep (phew), we embraced the city with a morning stroll and a hearty breakfast. Then came the fun bit: getting our glad rags on! By 2pm, we were all dressed up and ready to head to the palace.

On arrival, the atmosphere was just lovely. Everyone was buzzing with excitement but perfectly polite (very British). And the weather? Not a raindrop in sight. Pure garden-party perfection.

The stars of the show were of course the Royal family themselves. The Prince and Princess of Wales made a grand appearance, accompanied by The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Eugenie, and Zara Tindall. We lined up to catch a glimpse as they appeared on the Terrace, to the tune of the National Anthem.

Speaking of tunes…the Military Bands were amazing. Particular highlights were the Star Wars music and a toe-tapping ABBA medley that had us all smiling. Food-wise, we were in heaven. Josh meticulously curated an Instagram-worthy plate of delicate treats and Meg declared Sandringham Apple Juice the best apple juice in the world (even though she’s not an apple juice fan.) Les kept disappearing off to get the best view of the Royals to flash his EYV badge. And Will? Well he became the official photographer for several guests who weren’t quite tall enough to see over the crowds and get a good photo of Prince William.

When we weren’t lining up for the royals, savouring tiny sandwiches and exploring the stunning gardens (so many roses!) we were people watching. A highlight in itself, everyone was soaking it all in - the elegance, the outfits, the polite conversations. It was a real treat.

As the party wound down, we lined up once more to watch the Royals make their exit, capturing some great photos, witnessing a heartwarming moment between the Prince, Princess and a guest, and soaking up the last of the magic.

By the end of the day, our feet were definitely feeling it… especially Meg’s after braving heels all afternoon! But sore feet were a small price to pay for memories we’ll treasure forever.

From the stunning gardens to the royal sightings, the music, the food, and the wonderful company, the day was truly unforgettable. What a beautiful way to mark receiving The King’s Award and to celebrate all of Exmoor Young Voices’ incredible achievements over the years.

But our London trip wasn’t quite over yet! We followed it up with a visit to the Houses of Parliament the following day – more on that in the next blog.
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And now we’re back to work, planning our next EYV meeting. Will you be joining us? Make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list and following us on social media to stay in the know and be part of all the exciting things coming up.