NDA staff get the royal treatment at Buckingham Palace Garden Party
On Tuesday 9 May, members of staff from the NDA attended a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, the first since the King’s coronation.
Attendees at the Royal Garden Party
Arun Khuttan, Sustainability Manager, Tim Cook, Major Projects and Programmes Manager, Lucy Austin, Government Relations Manager and Michael Calloway, Head of Programme Nuclear Liabilities Assurance, were among 8,000 guests invited to spend the afternoon in the beautiful gardens of Buckingham Palace.
They were hosted by the Prince and Princess of Wales alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.
Garden Parties were established to allow the Royal Family to meet a broad range of people from all walks of life, who have made a positive impact in their community and celebrating their achievements.
The NDA group nominates individuals via the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, as a way of recognising and rewarding public service. The four NDA representatives were nominated for their contribution to the NDA’s mission to decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely and securely – one of the most important environmental programmes in the world.
Michael Calloway, Head of Programme Nuclear Liabilities Assurance, said:
It was a genuine honour to be invited to attend the Royal Garden Party.
Being an attendee this year was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I felt really proud to be nominated for this opportunity and to be one of the chosen people to attend the Royal Garden Party. It was also fantastic attending with colleagues of mine, representing the NDA.
When I began working for the NDA, I never would have imagined spending an afternoon at such an event in the company of the Prince and Princess of Wales. It is certainly a professional experience that I will not forget.
On the day of the Garden Party, the Palace gates are open from around 3pm. The Party officially begins when Members of the Royal Family enter the garden at 4pm, when the National Anthem is played by one of the two military bands present. While the bands continue to play a selection of music, Members of the Royal Family circulate among the guests.
Members of the Royal family then arrive at the Royal Tea Tent, where they meet further guests. Guests are free to eat, drink and stroll around the Palace gardens.