King Charles steps aside as Prince William, Kate take Buckingham Palace role

The future monarch, Prince William, and his wife Princess Kate returned to Buckingham Palace to host a garden party on behalf of King Charles.

The Prince and Princess of Wales performed the key duty with other senior royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall.

It has been a busy week for garden parties at the iconing royal palace, with King Charles hosting one earlier in the week on Wednesday. But on Friday, the King stepped aside for the future monarch and Princess Catherine.

Kensington Palace shared the stunning photo of William and Kate on their official Instagram.

 The video of the palace celebration was also shared by royal commentator Rebecca English on her official social media accounts.

Princess Kate put on a stylish display in a cream dress from Self Portrait. earrings from the late Queen and a personal bracelet.

The royal family's much-adored Princess finished her look off in style, opting for a vintage hat to complete her ensemble.

She was in her element as she hosted the party with her husband, flashing a warm smile at the guests.

This is the second time that Kate and William have led the festivities at Buckingham Palace, with the pair hosting a garden party in 2025.

At the time, the Waleses honoured those who had made a positive contribution to their communities, including the family of the late Liz Hatton, whom they had met previously at Windsor Castle.

This time, the party paid tribute to those affiliated with the patronages, military affiliations and personal projects of the royal couple.