For the first time, tourists to Buckingham Palace will be allowed to enter the state rooms through the grand entrance – just like a visiting head of state – as they are given an insight into the preparations that go into hosting state banquets, investitures, garden parties and private audiences.

A Royal Welcome, the annual summer opening exhibition, will show how the palace copes with the 62,000 guests it entertains each year.

The ballroom will be set up for a state banquet with the horseshoe shaped table dressed with silver gilt centrepieces, candelabra and 170 place settings using 2,000 pieces of cutlery.

On display will be the grand service which has been used by successive monarchs for 200 years and was originally commissioned by George IV when he was Prince Regent.

It consists of 12 ice-pails, 14 soup tureens, 118 salt cellars, 140 dishes, 288 dinner plates, 58 dessert stands and centrepieces, and 107 candelabra. A special salt cellar is placed in front of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at a state banquet – the piece – acquired by George I – contains two compartments for salt and mustard.

A newly commissioned time-lapse film will also show how the grand room is transformed for the elaborate banquets which are hosted for foreign heads of state who are carrying out formal state visits to the UK.

Visitors will also see the copper moulds used to create chocolate bombe desserts, the red leather seating planner and evening dresses and glittering jewellery worn by the Queen at state banquets.

Other outfits on display will be hats and ensembles worn by the monarch to her garden parties. There are usually three held at Buckingham Palace every year – each with 8,000 guests who consume around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 cakes.

The exhibition will also include the knighting stool and knighting sword used by the Queen and other members of the royal family to confer knighthoods at investitures. It runs from 25 July to 27 September.