Tatler UK - 07.2019

32 Tatler July 2019 tatler.com

H

ere it is: the jam-

packed calendar of

this year’s social Sea-

son. Life as a party –

but it’s also a game of Snakes and

Ladders, that you need to dedicate

yourself to. Both the Duchesses of

Cambridge and Sussex are expected

to be at Wimbledon – to whom

should you pay court? Sit next to

Sabine Getty at the Cartier Queen’s

Cup Polo, win her over with your

witty ways, and you may be invited

to the cricket at Wormsley: the most

enchanting, exclusive and enthral-

ling place in England to hear willow

on leather. But take the existence of

the helipad at Glyndebourne as an

indication that you should arrive in

a helicopter, however, and your up-

wardly mobile schemes will be in

ashes. You can forget about joining

the gladsome throng on Valentino’s

yacht as it drifts past Corfu and into

the Aegean.

So plot wisely and plot well. Burnish

your bons mots. Polish your manners.

Dress beautifully. And who knows?

You might win the plummest of

prizes – an invitation to Balmoral

for the Highland Games. Now will

the winter of our discontent be

made glorious summer – if you play

your hand right. Get cracking, and

enjoy the Season.

social

snakes

and

ladders

The Season is here:

plan wisely, refine your

manners and bring your

fashion A-game –

or risk social Siberia

By FRANCESCA CARINGTON

1 GO 2 3

12

28 26

16

Stay with

the Greeces

in the Cotswolds

You’ve been asked to

the dreamy Cotswolds

pile of Princess

Marie-Chantal and

Prince Pavlos of

Greece. Olympia, Achi

and Tino are all there,

ready to make it a rager.

Wilderness

Nice one – you’ve

managed to get

backstage at Aynhoe.

There are Astors and

Delevingnes as far

as the eye can see.

But you drink too

much and miss Tom

Odell’s set.

Royal Ascot

You turned up at the

wrong time to the White’s

Tent lunch sitting, but an

invitation to the

Bamfords’ box saved you

from disaster. Impressed

by your Brexit analysis,

Lord Bamford invites

you to stay on their yacht.

The Serpentine

Summer Party

You’ve dazzled Yana Peel

enough to make the guest list,

and your pseudo-intellectual

comments on Junya Ishigami’s

pavilion have also passed

muster. But then you mistake

Marina Abramović for

Roman Abramovich’s wife...

Tramp 50th

Anniversary

Party

What happens in Tramp,

stays in Tramp – unless

what happens is snogging

Princess Maria-Olympia

of Greece... In which case,

you’re invited to stay

with the Greeces in

the Cotswolds.

No. Fifty Cheyne

You got a table at No. Fifty Cheyne!

Chelsea's answer to 5 Hertford Street

is packed with theatre impresarios

and attractive French people. Turn

on the charm and you may bag your

child an internship – or, even better,

a European passport.

14

The V&A

Summer Party

After flattering

Tristram Hunt

by mistaking him

for Armie Hammer,

you bond with

Jemima Khan. She

invites you to stay at

Kiddington Hall,

Oxfordshire.

Glyndebourne

In your haste to catch chatelaine

and soprano Danielle de Niese’s

performance, you arrive in a

helicopter, wearing short instead

of long. Big mistake!

27

Valentino’s yacht

TM Blue One is the

yacht invitation:

ballgowns at dinner,

lots of exercising,

and the pugs come

along for the ride.

31

Cricket at Wormsley

You’re cheering on the Sir Paul Getty

XI in the bright Buckinghamshire

sunshine. And you’ve got tickets

to Garsington too, in a double

Wormsley whammy.

29

Staying with the

Blunts in Ibiza

James Blunt and

Sofia Wellesley have

invited you to stay in

their villa. James

whisks you off on an

island tour in the

speed boat. Heaven.

Glorious Twelfth

The Earl and Countess

of Derby ask you to

Crag Hall in the Peak

District during grouse

season. You’re up

against England’s best

shots – Charles

Stopford Sackville and

Sir Edward Dashwood.

30

Weekend with the

Goldsmiths in Somerset

Ben and Jemima invite you to stay

on the farm. Expect quad bike

adventures and sunbathing by day,

rosé by the firepit by night.

15

The Chelsea

Flower Show

The official start to the

season. The chosen

few get a head

start at 8.15am with

a much sought-after

spot at the breakfast

private view.

13

17

Wimbledon

New Debenture ticket

holders be warned: taking pictures

of anyone in the Royal Box is

low-grade, if tempting. But you

already knew that, didn’t you?

07-19BYST-SocialSnakeLadders.indd 32 07/05/2019 12:41