SUZY
Byline: Aileen Mehle
In London, the great congregation of royals, almost-royals, nobles and almost-nobles, plus elegant examples of the surrounding gentry and a few thrilled-to-be-there Americans who gathered in the State Apartments at Windsor Castle will be remembered for years. The celebration was a reception and dance marking the decade birthdays of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, 100; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, 70; the Princess Royal (Anne), 50, and the Duke of York, 40. It was a wondrous night awash with rulers of countries and peers of the realm whose blood runs navy blue.
The reception was held in the multitude of chambers that comprise the State Apartments — the fabulously restored St. George’s Hall, the Waterloo Chamber, the Queen’s Presence Chamber (transformed for the night into a disco), etc. One had to be brimming with vigor and capable of the speed of light to navigate the huge halls and towering rooms. The royals do it all the time. What the hell. Noblesse oblige.
As it was a black-tie event, there were no tiaras on view. Tiaras are not the done thing at black-tie parties of this ilk. White tie, yes. Otherwise, no. But you knew that.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were the first royals to arrive, whereupon they proceeded to circulate tirelessly from one room to the next, greeting what seemed to be all the guests — yes, 700 of them. Her Majesty’s light-blue dress was exquisitely embroidered from top to bottom. As for Prince Philip, instead of the usual black smoking, he wore the Windsor Jacket, dark blue with red trim. He never stopped dancing, both to Lester Lanin’s orchestra and to the disco beat. The British royals just love Lester Lanin.
Amazingly, the beloved Queen Mum toured all the rooms, charming everyone with that lovely smile, her sparkling blue eyes and her astonishing memory. She wore Nile-green embroidered silk and a river of diamonds (enormous) on her neck.
Princess Anne’s hair was swept up in her usual chignon, and her dress was a delicately embroidered white with a tight bodice and sculptured puff sleeves. All quite medieval in spirit.
Everyone was happy to see Princess Margaret, who was there with her two remarkable children, Viscount Linley with his lovely blond wife, Serena, and Lady Sarah Chatto with her husband, Daniel Chatto.
Princess Michael of Kent wore a bright-red crepe sheath, slit high. There was heavy gold embroidery on one shoulder. As you may have gathered by now, it was a heavily embroidered evening.
Sarah, Duchess of York, looked slim and rather low-key — for her, at least — in a strapless gown covered in shocking pink sequins. With it, she wore long white gloves. Oh, well.
Andrea Reynolds, married to the Hon. Shaun Plunkett, was the only woman who admitted that she made her dress herself. Homemade or not, it was quite splendid, a real ballgown made of yards and yards of black taffeta with antique gold trim. Very Queen Catherine of Aragon-like.
As for Carolina Herrera, the beautiful fashion designer, she was the epitome of elegance in a yellow halter-neck dress, designed by herself and worn with dazzling emeralds.
Speaking of dazzling, the most gorgeous young thing at the party, bar none, was on the arm of Lord and Lady Hanson’s son Robert. She is the model Sophie Anderton, and as I have written, Robert Hanson is head over heels. For months and months, he has wanted to marry her. For months and months, as I have also written, the Hansons have objected strenuously. We shall see what we shall see.
There were bars in the Grand Reception Room, the Guard Chamber and King Charles II’s Dining Room, breakfast was served from 11:30 p.m. on, and the arrangements of flowers were spectacular. They were more than 12 feet high, a mixture of every flower under the sun and luscious greenery.
Moving through all this were such eminences as the Prince of Wales, the King and Queen of Spain with their daughter, the Infanta Dona Elena and Elena’s husband, the Duke of Lugo; the King and Queen of Sweden; the King and Queen of Greece; handsome Prince Henri and pretty Princess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; the Crown Prince of Norway; Lord and Lady Camoys (he is Noreen Drexel’s brother); Serena and Neil Balfour, Countess Mountbatten of Burma; Barbara and Conrad Black; the Duke and Duchess of Westminster; the Duke and Duchess of Wellington; the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus Ogilvy; Lord and Lady Carrington; Sir Evelyn de Rothschild with American beauty Lynn Forester (this is still a blazing romance); the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire; Rosamund Bernier and John Russell; the Queen Mum’s friend, the marvelous Dowager Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne; the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough; Drue Heinz of New York, Pittsburgh and London; Reinaldo Herrera; Ashton Hawkins of New York; Lord and Lady Hindlip of the Christie’s Hindlips; Sir David and Lady Carina Frost; Lord and Lady Glenconner; the Italian Senator Mario d’Urso and others too “Burke’s Peerage” to mention. Hail, Britannia!
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