The Queen Charlotte’s Ball 2018
Queen Charlotte’s Ball 240th Anniversary
Dartmouth House, Mayfair, Saturday, 8th September 2018
In support of The English Speaking Union Literacy Programme
Photography credits: Getty Images
Read the press coverage:
Mail Online
The Times
One hundred and fifty personally invited VIP guests from Great Britain and across the world, dressed in white tie and long gowns, gathered together to celebrate the 240th anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s Ball at Dartmouth House, Mayfair.
Queen Charlotte’s Ball continues as a voluntary organisation of people associated historically with the London Season and supporting charitable concerns. It is now acknowledged globally as the most sought after ball in the world and the highlight of the London Season calendar. Tickets are always by personal invitation only and limited to 150 guests.
After a champagne and canapé reception in the beautiful historic courtyard on a glorious evening, guests were personally received by Patrons and Chairman of The London Season at the top of the magnificent marble staircase before being seated in the Winston Churchill room, where The Honourable Lady Roche MBE, piped in by London Season Piper Dixie Ingram, received nineteen debutantes, escorted by their fathers, and dressed in stunning Ritva Westenius white gowns and tiaras and David Morris (Harrods) diamonds in the traditional Debutante Procession. This year one former debutante from every decade since the 1950’s returned to commemorate the anniversary. The Honourable Lady Roche was one of the last debutantes to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen before presentation ended in 1958. The traditional Queen Charlotte’s Cake was a riot of pink and white roses, standing six feet tall and created by Cynthia Stroud MBE at Pretty Gorgeous Cakes for the fifth year.
Afterwards, dinner was served in the magnificent frescoed drawing room surrounded by twelve foot high flowering trees and incredible décor and lighting by Qube, preceded by the National Anthem, sung by opera singer Zoe Turner and Latin Grace by Her Majesty’s York Herald. The loyal toast was proposed by Sir David Roche Bt.
The debutantes and escorts dined separately in the historic dining room under a canopy of flowers, having great fun together before dancing to a live band until midnight. The evening was not yet over as one of the debutante parents kindly hosted a debutante and escorts after party at their London home until the early hours! Luckily all guests had been given a luxurious padded silk eye mask by Manito Silk Canada to drift off into sleep afterwards!
Next year’s ball will take place on Saturday 7th September 2019
The Pre Ball Events 2018
Queen Charlotte’s ball excitement began a week earlier with many guests participating in a London Season week of unforgettable evenings in palaces, royal residences, private Harrods experiences and a final pre ball Pimms reception and dinner at the House of Lords.
Private reception in The Archbishop’s drawing room and magnificent dinner in the historic Guards Room at Lambeth Palace
Overnight at Osborne House, Isle of Wight
Dinner in Queen Victoria’s Durbar Court
Queen’s Milliner’s debutante fashion show and champagne tea from the Ritz at Kent House
Private tour of House of Lords followed by Pimms reception and dinner at the incredible Cholmondeley Room and terrace overlooking the Thames
The Queen Charlotte’s Ball 2017
9th September 2017, Boughton Monchelsea Place and Leeds Castle, Kent
In support of Children with Cancer UK
Photography credits: Getty Images
Debutantes waiting for guests to arrive
Debutante Amira Rayner, 19, from Kent at Boughton Monchelsea Place ahead of the Ball
Debutantes preparing for the Ball at Boughton Monchelsea Place
The wonderful Brigit’s Bus transporting the debutantes to the Ball
Guests taking photographs of the debutantes at the Ball
Cerys Walker, 17, arriving at the Castle
Read the press coverage: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4869824/Debutantes-attend-annual-Queen-Charlotte-s-Ball.html#ixzz4sU5JgQ94
A huge thank you for everyone who supported us at Queen Charlotte’s Ball 2017 at Leeds Castle. With special thanks to
- Berketex Bride
- Pretty Gorgeous Cakes
- Mint Creative
- Brigit’s Bus
- Mrs Maurice Kendrick of Boughton Monchelsea Place
- Mrs Charlotte Wontner
Ruth and Eammon Holmes at Queen Charlotte’s Ball 2016 for the Channel Five programme ’How the other half lives’
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Channel 5.
Debbie Marks of Qube Events in the media about this year’s ball.
Become a debutante of 2017
Applications are now being received for the 2017 London Season Debutante List.
Interviews will be held in London in November.
Please forward your completed form in Word Document form to Mrs David Hallam-Peel by email [email protected]
2017-london-season-application
236th anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s Ball in support of Children with Cancer UK
10th September 2016, One Whitehall Place, The Royal Horseguards Hotel
The debutantes of 2016 with Her Highness Princess Olga Romanoff the Patron of the London Season. Photo by Katarina Tamova.
Mr Lukas Kroulik, Executive Director of the London Season, Mrs Arun Mishra from Berketex Bride, Mrs Jonathan Woodall, Vice Chairman, The London Season, Mrs David Hallam-Peel, Chairman, The London Season andriol testocaps bodybuilding, American ambassadors Mrs Ann Haugen and Colonel Kenny Kraft (L-R). Photo by Katarina Tamova.
Zoe Turner opera singer and Taylor Curtis ballet dancer perform at the Ball. Photo by Katarina Tamova.
Debutantes of 2016 wearing gowns by Berketex Bride. The gowns were personally designed for each girl and named after them. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
Debutantes and their escorts pose for pictures ahead of the Queen Charlotte’s Ball at One Whitehall Place, The Royal Horseguards Hotel. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
Atmospheric lighting by Eclipse. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
Debutante Anna McGovern who was named Debutante of the Year cuts the cake. Queen Charlotte’s Ball is the pinnacle event in the London Season. The modern group of selected debutantes continue the tradition and celebrate their year of charity fund raising, etiquette classes and debut at The Queen Charlotte’s Ball. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
Décor by Qube Events & Productions
Creative direction by Lukas Kroulik
Pre-Ball Photo-shoot – featuring last year’s Debutante of the Year
Each year we choose a different designer who creates a very special collection for Queen Charlotte’s Ball and this year’s suggestion from Berketex to specially design a capsule collection named The Debutante Collection has resulted in gowns reflecting the ethereal beauty of a girl emerging into the adult world for the first time and totally matches the ethos of the ball.
Queen Charlotte’s Ball, 10th September 2016 at One Whitehall Place
Jennie Hallam-Peel, London Season chairman, and Lukas Kroulik, London Season Executive Director, are delighted to introduce our supporters for the 236th anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s ball at the fabulous and historic Whitehall Place.
Svenja Wiegand heads up the team from Whitehall Place with brilliant German efficiency and professionalism ensuring that every aspect of the ball is organised impeccably.
The debutantes’ gowns, tiaras, and accessories this year have been personally designed for each girl by Berketex Bride and reflect a dream like quality in each beautiful creation. Our huge appreciation to Nishtha Mishra at Berketex Bride who has personally supervised every aspect of the design and creation of each gown.
This year Queen Charlotte’s Ball will be enhanced by the most stunningly imaginative floral and topiary décor created and personally designed by Debbie Marks at Qube Events & Productions. Debbie has also designed the table and dining chair decor to reflect an enchanting dream like ambience for the Procession of the debutantes.
Our resident Queen Charlotte’s Cake maker, Cynthia Stroud at Pretty Gorgeous Cakes will be creating another huge and amazing six-foot cake and again creating some delicious edible goodies for the goodie bags, kindly designed and provided by Berketex.
Nigel Vichi, Chairman at Mint Design Associates has for the fifth year designed and created our gorgeous invitations and souvenir brochure collating amazing archive photographs from the last eighty years of the London Season.
Band Master Rob Smith and The Army Air Corps Band, formed from a nucleus of the Royal Artillary Alanbrooke Band, who have played at both D day commemorations, Buckingham Palace and many prestigious events and are recent winners of the Ward Booth Trophy will be rocking the dance floor after dinner.
Josh Gerrard from Eclipse, a technical event production company, will be providing lighting for this year’s event. Using their experience and knowledge of the venue they will take advantage of the beautiful architecture to create the perfect atmosphere. Look out for special lighting effects on the dance floor and the subtle glow they will give the dining room.
Berkeley Dress Show 2016
The London Season’s Chairman Jennie Hallam-Peel was delighted to welcome new debutantes and guests to the inaugural dinner for the 2016 London Season.
The Berkeley Dress Show was hosted by Lord Taylor and took place at the House of Lords in support of the Children with Cancer UK on 3rd March 2016.
The debutantes modelled the latest hats by milliner John Boyd MBE in front of the Duke of Somerset, Sir David and The Hon Lady Roche, Sir Ben Slade, Sir Toby Clarke and Baroness Buchanan-Baillie-Hamilton with her sons The Hon Bruce and the Hon Angus Buchanan-Baillie-Hamilton and other high profile international guests at this traditional British society event which was choreographed by creative director Lukas Kroulik.
The debutantes modelled the latest hats by milliner John Boyd MBE, photo by Lukas Kroulik.
