Parties You Will Never Get Into

President George W. Bush justly feted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a gala fit for a queen; the first and last white-tie state dinner of his administration. First Lady Laura Bush collaborated closely with her Chief of Staff Anita McBride and Social Secretary Amy Zantzinger in the run-up to the dinner.

Gilded and whitened for the occasion, the State Dining Room was festooned with pieces selected for their historical significance. Centerpieces were the Vermeil collection of pearl-handled flatware and candelabras, created by a London silversmith in the 18th century. Dinner plates were gold-trimmed Lenox china bought by the Clintons. They were laid on thirteen tables covered with cream damask tablecloths. Florist Nancy Clarke filled the room with white roses and lilacs. Pictures of the Queen in previous US state visits were displayed around the White House.

Diamond tiara on head, the Queen arrived on the evening of May 7th with her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. She wore a glittery, cream-colored gown with blue sash, a diamond-festooned necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Waiting for them in the State Dining Room were 134 guests, which included former first lady Nancy Reagan, Vice-President Dick Cheney, State Secretary Condoleeza Rice, and General Peter Pace. Previous secretaries of state George Schultz and Henry Kissinger also attended the prestigious dinner; so did Donald Evans, former secretary of commerce. Top names in business were also present like ex-Enron executive Richard Kinder, automotive magnate James Click, and investor Brad Freeman. Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and golfer Arnold Palmer represented the athletic contingency. Calvin Borel, who won the 133rd Kentucky Derby the weekend before the dinner, was also a guest.

A five-course meal of authentic American cuisine was whipped up by White House Filipino-American Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford. For the appetizer, the chef served spring pea soup with fern leaf lavender. Meat was spring lamb saddle with chanterelle sauce; the starter was Dover sole almondine. Comerford added cheeses from British farmhouses to her salad of arugula, mustard greens and romaine. Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses baked a cake topped with a sugar-made confection replicating the queen’s coronation rose in 1953.

The music of violin prodigy Itzhak Perlman prevailed while the US Army Chorus also entertained the Queen.

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.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, now longest-serving British sovereign on high, turned 80 on April 21, 2006. The Royal Family arranged the day’s capstone—an intimate dinner fit for a queen.

Leading to his mother’s special day, Prince Charles of Wales had facilitated the restoration of the stately Kew Palace at Windsor. Ten years in the making, the refurbishments were finished just in time for the queenly occasion.

Not since George III had a royal dined at Kew Palace. Two centuries ere, the monarch and former Prime Minister Lord Sidmouth helped themselves to some mutton chops at the palace’s dining room. For her natal day, Her Majesty and the Royal Family huddled around a very private feast good for a little over 25 people. On the menu were Juniper-roast loin of Sandringham Estate venison, Hebridean smoked salmon, and birthday chocolate sponge cake with Highgrove fruit filling. Present at the dinner table, among others, were Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Prince Harry, The Princess Royal, Rear Admiral Laurence, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and The Duke of Edinburgh.

As a gift to her “darling” mother, Prince Charles set off marvelous fireworks and laser lights outside Kew Palace. The display happened before dinner and was witnessed by a crowd of 2,000.

Earlier, Prince Charles paid tribute to his mother over BBC Radio 4. The Queen was greeted in the morning with a larger-than-usual flag-raising ceremony at Windsor Castle and 21-gun salutes at the Windsor Great Park, Cardiff and Cornwall.

Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926. After the death of King George VI, she was crowned queen sovereign on June 2, 1953.