Does anyone else think that May is a stupid time to host Gold DoE celebrations at Buckingham Palace?

[DtotheOG]

Last year DC couldn’t go because they had an A Level exam that day. This year they can’t go as they have First Year exams. Next year and the year after it will be the same.

Why don’t they reschedule the DoE celebrations to July or August and move some of the charity days to May? And if it’s about Prince Edward’s availability, come on mate, your daughter sat her A levels and your son is sitting them now. You should know that exams clash with the award celebrations.

If your Gold DofE Buckingham Palace invitation clashes with exams, you can defer the invitation to a future date. The celebrations are held over multiple dates in May/June, often coinciding with exam season, but you are not obligated to attend the first date you are offered.

That message shows they know it causes a problem, so why don’t they move it? Even if they don’t have an exam on the actual day, they will still be revising and stressed, so organising a day out to London isn’t the best use of their time.

The dates scheduled for 2026 are in may, June and July. So some will be well and truly post exams

DC emailed to defer it and was given a new date. For May 2027.

Mine was November. I almost froze in the queue waiting to go in, in the snow...

Were you all assigned your dates or can you choose which month? Does DC need to be more assertive?

She won’t be doing exams then?

DD was only offered a date in May, no other choice. It's the day between two A levels. She has deferred. I agree with you that this is very foreseeable for A level and university exams.

Yes - absolutely peak Second Year exam time.

Gosh, I was expecting a flaming (this is AIBU after all) so thank you for making me feel I am NBU.

Are you indicating that the royal family is a tad self absorbed and not considering other people's schedules?? Nooooo, say it isn't so!!!

Yep, it’s poor planning, May and June are a right off for 16-21 year olds who are on an academic path. Given that the gold DofE is designed to be taken in year 12, so the awards would need to be done in year 13 onwards, it’s unlikely the bulk of the people you are celebrating will be available in May or June.

Given a big part of the DofE is teaching you to plan and be organised, perhaps the palace should hire someone who’s achieved it to plan the celebration events.

I went to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May, so I assume it is the time of year they hold things in the garden there. I suppose the Royals are away a lot in the Summer.

The one I went to was to celebrate people who work and volunteer in Education and it was in SATs week and also when GCSEs started! A number of Primary staff had raced to get there after the test in the morning to try and be able to be there for part of it

I do think having a garden party is a rubbish idea if you can only hold it in May when your guests to be honoured will struggle to be there. If the royals aren’t available over the summer and the garden isn’t warm enough to hold this in March/April, then obviously they need to do something indoors instead. (Or work over the summer).