Parties You Will Never Get Into

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II gets to celebrate two birthdays in a year. We wrote previously about her private birthday bash. The Queen was born on April 21, but as per tradition, she must celebrate a second birthday on any of the first three Saturdays of June. Tradition has it that having an official birthday in summer suited well those royals whose birthdays fall under the cold winter, when outdoor festivities are hardly fit.

When she turned 80 in 2006, Her Majesty celebrated a third birthday, on December 5. Her closest company and courtiers attended the Queen’s belated 80th birthday party, held in five reception rooms at the 50-year old Ritz Hotel, the Queen’s favorite. Attendees were treated to a five-course meal and stayed on after the Queen left at dawn.

Over 300 well-wishers attended the bash, including Greek royals King Constantine, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and Prince Nikolaos. Others in attendance were the Duke of York, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Alexandra, Peter Phillips, Autumn Kelly, Lady Helen Taylor, Lady Sarah Chatto, and Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor. Margaret Rhodes, one of the Queen’s best confidantes and former lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother, was believed to have been present.

Charles, The Prince of Wales and wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, skipped the celebration in favor of a fundraising gala at Windsor Castle. Grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry were also no-shows; William was practicing for the Sandhurst passing out parade that time, while Prince Harry was fulfilling military exercises. Before one could remark family feud, Buckingham Palace officials reminded everyone that The Prince of Wales had already thrown a party for his mother at the Kew Palace in April.

Her Majesty’s private bash at the Ritz was spearheaded by Lady Elizabeth Anson, a cousin. A distinguished events planner, Lady Anson was also the brains behind the party celebrating 50 years since the coronation of The Queen.