A staple in the London summer season calendar is the Buckingham Palace garden parties . Every May, when the weather is reasonably nice, Buckingham Palace opens the gates and welcomes hundreds of visitors from around the United Kingdom, dressed in their fineries, to enjoy tea and cake at the palace—and hopefully meet a royal or two. As King Charles hosted the first garden party of 2026, former royal gardener Jack Stooks shared his memories—and a top tip—from those iconic afternoons in the Buckingham Palace gardens. “It's a really lovely thing to be invited to and to experience,” the former royal gardener shared. King Charles greets guests at the first garden party of 2026. (Image credit: Getty Images) A view of Buckingham Palace and the gardens. (Image credit: Getty Images) “The Buckingham Palace garden parties are always a really nice occasion,” Stooks told Heart Bingo Online . “It's massively exciting for anybody going.…