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From OK Magazine -- July 8, 2003 Issue
HELLO Magazine -- July 8, 2003 Issue
Taking a hot-air balloon ride with Director Stephen Daldry (below)
Sounds from
The White Tie and Tiara Ball
Russia has never been so hip. St Petersburg, the former capital of Russia, is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year and Vladimir Putin has just returned home from the first state visit to England by a Russian leader since Tsar Alexander II's in 1874. And as President Putin celebrated the last night of his visit by hosting a very British gala dinner at Spencer House in London, Sir Elton John was masterminding a Russian extravaganza of his own at his Georgian home in Berkshire. A mere troika-ride from Windsor Castle, at an estimated cost of a million pounds, the Imperial Russian stage was set for the fifth White Tie and Tiara Ball. The Italian garden was sprayed with fake snow, to resemble the grounds of a miniature Winter Palace. Paths between the clipped yew hedges were iced over, enabling waiters and waitresses to perform the Skaters' Waltz, while balancing silver salvers laden with caviar and strawberry and raspberry vodka. Meanwhile, guests were serenaded by balalaika players in the orangery and entertained by Cossack dancers on the Roman terrace, who pounded their feet upon a floor of lavender blossom, releasing wafts of scent. The guests, who paid £1,000 each to attend, and their hosts, Sir Elton and his boyfriend David Furnish, who were dressed in identical white ties by Richard James, would not have looked out of place at a party thrown by Catherine the Great in the Peterhof Palace. The silver and white dress code was interpreted with diamonds and crystals, silk, tulle and gleaming satin. The abundance of skin-tight corsetry ensured a competition to see who could display the most cleavage. Tiaras twinkled under the last rays of sunshine, most spectacularly on Elizabeth Hurley, who wore a special Chopard creation of 180 carats with her silk chiffon Versace gown. Sam Taylor-Wood was a Tchaikovskian "white swan" in an Alexander McQueen plunge-front gown, sprinkled with crystals; Kylie Minogue played the sugarplum fairy in lilac tulle, twinkling with jewels and sequins, from Chanel couture. Naomi Campbell was an exotic Russian princess in a Dolce & Gabbana slink, splashed with diamante, and her hair was swept up and emblazoned with a vast 14-carat Chopard rock. Jade Jagger wore turquoise Dior with Garrard diamonds, and Elle Macpherson, a Russian red Gucci corset-gown. But the Beckhams upstaged them all. They wore co-ordinated silver satin by Dolce & Gabbana, and David's hair was pulled into two ponytails to show off twin Chopard ear-studs, while Victoria sparkled with Graff diamonds on her ears, fingers and wrists. David had taught Victoria, he said, how to order a hot-dog in Spanish. "Not much use to me, seeing as I'm a vegetarian," she laughed. Other guests included the Duchess of York, Dame Judi Dench, Lord and Lady Black, Alexandra Miller, Sir Michael and Lady Caine, Hugh Grant, Jemima Khan, Brian May and Anita Dobson, who wore a rhinestone-emblazoned gown that fitted like a glove. Everyone entered a Russian Orthodox church-like foyer in a huge marquee for the dinner. The walls, glistening with gold leaf, were hung with oil paintings, gilt mirrors and icons. The Romanov family's coat-of-arms was embroidered on the curtains. Massive candelabra cast a golden glow on the tables and chairs, which were upholstered in gold damask, as the guests tucked into chilled borscht, caviar on ice, peppered fillet of beef and a delicious Faberge Easter egg dessert. This year's auction, which benefits the Elton John Aids Foundation and was co-hosted by Dame Judi Dench and Oscar-winning director Stephen Daldry, raised more than £1 million in less than 20 minutes. Sir Elton's autographed grand piano fetched £100,000, and a game of one-upmanship between Hugh Grant and secretive multi-millionaire businessman Richard Caring, trying to outbid one another for a private dinner at Sir Elton's home, ended with Grant suggesting they share the prize and donate £380,000 between them. As gripping as the auction was, however, it could not match the excitement generated by the "entertainment". First, Barry Manilow, then Donna Summer - although now a grandmother, she was high-kicking in a black satin Cruella De Vil gown with a hem dripping with rhinestones - then Sir Elton performed. For the grand finale, the trio competed to sing the most scorching version of Could it be Magic? It could, and it was.
PeopleNews.com Online Article Enemy of understatement, Elton John, has hosted his most lavish party to date. The Russian-themed bash, for 500 of his nearest and dearest - including Liz Hurley , Kylie , Posh and Becks , Elle Macpherson , Jade Jagger, Naomi Campbell , Sarah Ferguson, Jemima Khan , Dolce and Gabbana, Lulu , Judi Dench, Michael Caine and Sting - was held at Elt's estate in Windsor. Pity the party organisers as Elton John decided that the season wasn't right for his party and ordered that the 37 acres of his land were to be transformed into a Russian winter wonderland for the night, complete with ice rink and Russian ice skaters, imitation snow and a replica Russian orthodox church bang in the middle of his garden. £200,000 was spent on flowers (which is nearly Elt's annual bill for supplying his house with orchids) and £500,000 on vintage champagne. Guests munched on replica Faberge eggs and were serenaded by Donna Summer and Barry Manilow. Now that's class.
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