Over 250 schoolchildren will join other guests in a garden party at Lambeth Palace on Thursday 6 June attended by the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The event is being hosted the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey and Mrs Eileen Carey to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Dr Carey said that he was greatly looking forward to the afternoon.

"My wife Eileen and I are delighted and honoured that Her Majesty has accepted our invitation. I know that the children are very excited about it and have been working hard. I am pleased that so many are able to take part. I hope that this will be a fitting and enjoyable celebration in a momentous and extremely busy time for Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh."

The schoolchildren, drawn from nearly 50 Church of England schools in the dioceses of Canterbury, Chelmsford, London and Southwark, will celebrate the Queen's reign by producing a commemorative newspaper marking events in each year since the accession in 1952. A final edition will look to the future.

Others attending include personal guests of the Archbishop and Mrs Carey, members of the Lambeth Partnership and medical and nursing staff from the St Luke's Hospital for the Clergy, a charity which provides medical care for the clergy and church lay workers.

During the course of the visit, the Queen will see two new works of art commissioned for the Palace atrium. The area, next to the 13th century crypt chapel, was opened up and developed when the Palace was opened to the public as part of the Millennium 'String of Pearls' project and opened by Prince Charles in March 2000.

The painting 'Dream Dreams' by Paul Hobbs has been placed on the east wall of the atrium. In an opening in a dividing wall in the centre of the atrium area is a new sculpture by the American artist Anne Mimi Sammis on the theme 'He's got the whole world in his hands'.

The main part of the proceedings take place in the grounds of the Palace, where the Queen will join the children, along with other invited guests, in the grounds at the north side of the palace. Before leaving she will plant a commemorative magnolia tree named "Elizabeth" on the east side of the Palace courtyard.

Music at the garden party is to be provided by 40 school musicians, drawn from St Edmund's School Canterbury and Archbishop Michael Ramsey Technology College at the Elephant & Castle, South London.