The Tamesis
Megan Fay, Leo WoodallBray Johnson/BFA.com
The King’s Trust celebrated its 50th anniversary with a grand gala at Christie’s New York on Wednesday evening. Cockney accents echo throughout the storied auction house, plates of British-inspired delicacies are passed around, and King Charles III and Queen Camilla even make a passing appearance. As the king addressed the crowd, surrounded by Union Jacks, the atmosphere shifted, if only for a moment, mimicking the pomp and pageantry of a Balmoral or Buckingham Palace reception
The King’s Trust was established in 1976 by King Charles, then Prince of Wales, to provide young people with the confidence, skills and experience they need to succeed in their careers. The organization is currently active in 20 countries and supports more than 1.5 million young people. This year’s gala proved to be the most successful yet – raising more than $3 million to tackle global youth unemployment. Global ambassadors Lionel Richie and Edward Enninful OBE co-hosted the evening, along with Charlotte Tilbury, who decorated the dressing room with her beauty products and cooed her signature “Honey!” can be heard echoing through the gallery.
With just days left until the Met Gala, where Charles and Camilla wrapped up their four-day official visit, the crowd struck a balance between fashion-forward (think: lavishly dressed models, designers, editors, stylists) and old-school (many in tartan and pearls). Karlie Kloss stunned in a floor-length red gown, Martha Stewart in a shimmering blue sequin dress, Laura Harrier in Kallmeyer, Donatella Versace, Meghann Fahy, Leo Woodall and Stella McCartney Others are mixed in with the works of Matisse and the looming sculptures of Giacometti.
The brand’s founder, Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins OBE, was also in attendance at around 6.30pm, after guests enjoyed smoked salmon appetizers and Cygnet gin martinis. Charles and Camilla made their way through the crowd, pausing to shake hands and then listen to a brief introduction from British Ambassador Sir Christian Turner, who mentioned the “Royal Hot Dog Picnic” – when President Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs on paper plates to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their state visit to New York. Thankfully, Charles laughed so hard at the anecdote that there was no frankfurter in sight. Just some warm comments and lighthearted exchanges.
“We do become greater together – that’s the point,” he said of the UK-US relationship. He paused to add a Lionel Richie voice, “He had to rinse his mouth with port wine.”
The champagne continued to flow as guests headed upstairs for dinner, while Charles and Camilla quietly departed. By the end of the night, for many in the room, their existence felt like a fever dream—a very royal dream at that.
