Farmers from Dorset sheltered under the Prince of Wales's umbrella at a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince of Wales braved torrential downpours at the Palace garden party, hosted for his father, King Charles, and quipped it was “good weather for swimming”.

William was greeted by a sea of umbrellas when he hosted the summer event for his father, with the weather leaving some guests drenched and others sheltering in the tea tents.

The prince, dressed in a top hat and morning suit, met Duchy of Cornwall tenant farmers Julie and Matthew Hall, from Bloomers Farm near Gillingham, and let the husband and wife shelter under his umbrella.

Mrs Hall, said afterwards: “We’re farmers, we’re used to the rain, and when we left this morning Dorset was in sunshine. It’s all the seasons in one day sometimes.”

Around 8,000 people were invited to one of the summer highlights of the royal calendar, including William’s cousins, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Zara Tindall, with her husband Mike.

William left with a children’s book he pledged to read to Prince Louis at bedtime and a bag of freshly baked cookies from an RAF padre.

The Prince also met guests from a number of his patronages, Homewards, the homeless project he launched last year, and members of the military.

When the future king chatted to senior executives from Swim England, an organisation he supports as patron, he joked “good weather for swimming”.