William, Kate and Harry welcome 850 children to Buckingham Palace
It’s not every day you get invited to a party at Buckingham Palace, but that’s exactly what happened to 850 children, brought from all over the UK to party with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry over the weekend.
The event was held in honour of the hundreds of sons and daughters left behind by parents killed in the line of duty – a cause very close to Princes William and Harry, who both served in the armed forces.
“Their Royal Highnesses have arranged the event as a way to acknowledge and honour the fact that a number of young children have had to come to terms with the loss of someone very close to them at a young age,” said a statement from Kensington Palace. “The Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry hope the event will provide an opportunity for these children to broaden their support networks amongst other families with similar experiences.”
The royal trio spent the day having a blast with the children, decorating cupcakes, meeting families and even firing off a few water balloons from a giant slingshot rigged on the palace steps.
“Today was organised to celebrate you guys,” Harry said in an emotional speech. “We’re here to remind you that we as a family, and as a nation will never, ever forget the sacrifices that all of you here have made.
“We wanted to give you an opportunity to know that you are part of, sadly, a very large group of fantastic people. The three of us, and all of our family, wanted to thank you so, so much for everything you’ve done.”
Take a look at all the photos from the fun event in the gallery above. We think you’ll agree with Harry’s statement, that “Buckingham Palace gardens have not seen this much fun, ever.”
Image credit: Andrew Parsons/Getty.