Prince William joins forces with Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara and Mike to cover Charles at party

Prince William led the royals braving wet and windy conditions today as community stalwarts were welcomed to a soggy Buckingham Palace garde...

Prince William led the royals braving wet and windy conditions today as community stalwarts were welcomed to a soggy Buckingham Palace garden party.

The Prince of Wales was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester to represent the King for the third gathering of the year at royal HQ. As they emerged on the palace steps overlooking the rear gardens the royals were met a sea of umbrellas as they stood to listen to the national anthem. Around 8,000 guests were invited to celebrate the work of volunteers, military personnel and members of the public.

During the garden party William will meet guests from a number of both the Prince and Princess of Wales' patronages, military affiliations and so called "passion projects" including his project to combat homelessness in the UK, Homewards, RAF Valley where he served as a search and rescue pilot for three years from 2010 to 2013, Swim England as well as tenants across Duchy of Cornwall sites.

Royal aides said William personally invited the other "young members" of the royal family to accompany him for the day, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips. King Charles and Queen Camilla, who hosted the first two garden parties this year, including one last week to celebrate the creative industries, did not attend today's event. The King, 75, is continuing weekly cancer treatment in London and will return to duties later this week.

The Prince of Wales last hosted a garden party to celebrate community heroes last May, alongside his wife the Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal. Kate, 42, has since last month taken a leave of absence away from royal duties when she revealed in a heartbreaking public statement that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The Princess is undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment and will not return to duties for the foreseeable future and until she is cleared to do so by doctors, it is understood.

However, earlier, Kate was credited as the "driving force" behind a brand new report today that could boost the UK economy by £45.5billion a year. The princess has been following the work of chief executives she convened last year as part of a Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood to galvanise business action on the importance of the formative years of a child’s development.

It has been revealed that Kate has been kept fully up to date throughout the process and the development of the task force's work and had seen the report in advance. But despite the update, Kensington Palace stressed that the launch of the report did not signal the princess "returning to work".

Today's report from eight leading British firms, identifies five areas that businesses of all sizes can help children under five and the adults around them. Kate last year brought together the Business Taskforce to contribute to her "vision for the future" in the early years development of children.

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