Zoe Meets The King and Queen, ‘It Was Like the Best Wedding Reception Ever!’

Published on: 13 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 16 Feb, 2026

Zoe of GBC chats to The Queen.

By Martin Giles

Zoe (she did not wish to give her surname), a local government officer at Guildford Borough Council, represented the council at a reception at St James’s Palace earlier this month.

The event, hosted by The King and Queen, alongside The Duchess of Edinburgh and The Duke of Gloucester, was held to recognise the work of employees of local and regional governments who serve communities throughout the United Kingdom.

Approximately 350 guests from local authorities across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland were invited, representing a range of roles from social workers and Violence Against Women and Girls leaders to headteachers, public health workers and disability services coordinators.

Zoe, who has worked at GBC for almost eight years as a team leader covering housing and housing repairs, said: “I was nominated by the senior leadership team. I was honoured to represent the council, and I was exceptionally proud.

“The event lasted approximately two hours with the aim of the event to thank unsung heroes in local government for their often unseen work.

“I attended with a colleague from Waverley Council. On our arrival, we were presented with a glass of champagne that was topped up throughout the evening whilst we enjoyed delicious canapes.

“The King and Queen spent around an hour and a half talking to everyone that wanted to talk to them. I had the privilege of talking to both; they were very interested in the work we do and expressed their sincere thanks.

“It was my first time visiting the Palace and the beauty of the place, the décor and how lovely all the staff were, certainly made it a night to remember.

“It was wonderfully, relaxed and informal, like the best wedding reception ever. It was also really good to have the chance to meet local government workers representing local councils from up and down the country.”

Describing her job at GBC, Zoe said: “As a team leader in Housing, I support residents through some of the most important and challenging moments in their lives.

“Along with my team, I provide housing advice, triage homelessness approaches, manage social housing allocations, and carefully verify every application to the housing register.

“I recently introduced a weekly drop‑in Housing Advice Clinic at The Hive [Community Centre] every Tuesday, so local residents can access friendly, face‑to‑face support when they need it most.

“Alongside housing, we handle calls from residents, making sure housing issues are logged quickly, jobs are raised, and work is carried out. We work closely with other council teams to keep things running smoothly ensuring residents are at the heart of what we do.

“I also organise the council’s Macmillan Coffee Mornings, and have raised over £7,000 for charity in the past four years. This proves that in Guildford, we care about our community, and we definitely love our cake!”