King Charles, Queen Camilla hosting palace party on Diana's birthday

King Charles and Queen Camilla are kicking off their annual Scottish summer with a royal celebration.

As part of the traditional tour known as “Royal Week” or Holyrood Week, the monarch will host a special garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday, July 1. The date also happens to mark what would have been Charles’s late ex-wife Princess Diana’s 64th birthday.

According to Hello! magazine, the event is expected to welcome around 8,000 guests from across the country as Scotland’s culture and achievements are celebrated.

Charles, 76, was all smiles during the week’s opening Ceremony of the Keys at Holyroodhouse, where he was greeted with pipes and drums before inspecting the Royal Company of Archers, his official bodyguard in Scotland.

The upcoming garden party will give the King and Queen a chance to mingle with guests in the palace’s historic gardens. As with past events, attendees can expect live music from regimental bands and the Royal Scottish Pipers Society, along with a relaxed royal meet-and-greet.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse has served as a royal residence for 500 years and remains King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official base in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla had her commitments as she officially opened Ratho Library, celebrating its partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival.