The King and Queen of Britain on Wednesday held a first grand garden party of 2024 and hosted over 8,000 guests, including Princess Anne and Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward and his spouse Duchess Sophie.
Accompanied by Queen Camilla, King Charles presided over the celebrations at the party, which almost coincided with Prince Harry's Thanksgiving Ceremony for the Invictus Games in St Paul's Cathedral.
The family reunion was a moving show of solidarity following King's return to his royal duties after being diagnosed with cancer in February.
It was not just Prince Harry who missed out the party as he attended St Paul’s Cathedral with relatives of his later mother Diana. A nine-year-old boy also skipped the royal gathering at Buckingham Palace.
Also Read: King Charles won't see Prince Harry because of Queen Camilla, monarch's friend claims
Royal family reacts after Tony Hudgell misses party
Tony Hudgell, a double amputee who lost both legs due to cruelty by his birth parents, was invited to the party. However, Hudgell and his adoptive mother, Paula Hudgell, were unable to attend the party due to traffic delays on their trip to London.
{{/usCountry}}Tony Hudgell, a double amputee who lost both legs due to cruelty by his birth parents, was invited to the party. However, Hudgell and his adoptive mother, Paula Hudgell, were unable to attend the party due to traffic delays on their trip to London.
{{/usCountry}}Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Paula Hudgell explained: "Stuck on the M20 for the last 2 hours won't be making the King's Garden Party."
The tweet featured a photo of Tony donning a blue t-shirt and black sunglasses.
Surprisingly, the Royal Family’s official X account reacted to the tweet, writing “Sorry to hear this, Tony! We were looking forward to seeing you too."
“Fancy trying this again another day? Leave it with us…”
Expressing gratitude for the response, the mother replied, “Thank you so much for this wonderful reply, we were all so disappointed and flat tonight. This tweet has certainly lifted our spirits and Tony is going to bed now much happier.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the post, one royal family fan wondered, “who is this cute child?”
“What a nice gesture by His Majesty!” another wrote.
“What a fabulous reply, just the little things that make someone’s day!” one more chimed in .
Who is Tony Hudgell?
Tony, who hails from Maidstone, Kent, wears prosthetics as he suffered severe injuries to his lower legs when he was a toddler. He has received the Pride of Britain and UK Points of Light awards.
King Charles' garden party would not be his first meeting with royal family members as he was seen with Princess Kate Middleton multiple times.
The Prince and Princess of Wales earlier lauded Tony as a hero for his incredible fundraising walks for disadvantaged youngsters.
Inspired by Sir Tom Moore, Tony walked 10 kilometers in 30 days to raise around £2 million for charity. Following this, he met Kate and William, who “spent ages” conversing with him at the Together At Christmas carol event at Westminster Abbey in 2023.
Kate and Williams' children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis--- wrote heart-warming letters to Tony during Catherine's annual Christmas service.