Up to 850 euros, black tie and evening dress required, the Monaco Rose Ball is considered the international social gathering of the Côte d’Azur. Initially scheduled for March and postponed due to sanitary conditions, it is scheduled for Friday July 8. And for this 66th edition, Princess Caroline, who is organizing the event for the benefit of the Princess Grace Foundation, of which she is the president, has given the artistic direction to the French designer Christian Louboutin. Together, they chose the theme “The 20s, the return” for this evening which takes place in the Salle des Etoiles at the Sporting Monte-Carlo.
“It’s in a way a Monte-Carlo version of the Met Gala”, summarizes Henry-Jean Servat, former journalist for Paris Match, who has participated in this event fifteen times. “It’s a charity evening that brings in a lot of money with all the jet-setters around the world,” he continues, citing Ivana Trump, Massimo Gargia and Baroness de Brandstetter as examples. Unlike the American gala organized by Anna Wintour, the Bal de la rose does not choose its guests but finds itself very quickly full “with more requests than places”. A total of 800 place settings are set up. “It’s an important cultural event that opens the worldly festivities at the start of the year”, specifies the former regular.
A “sublime” decoration
In addition to the personalities present, the place is “splendid”. The ceiling of the Sporting star room can be opened and it is then possible to discover the sky. “There are often fireworks, adds Henry-Jean Servat. The decoration is sublime, with roses everywhere, even on the walls, the tables are dressed with Provençal fabrics. Everything is super chic, we eat the good and the best. It’s a very nice evening prepared with care by Princess Caroline [sœur du prince Albert II], who chooses the theme and the artist who embodies it, such as Karl Lagerfeld. »
This year, the Société des Bains de mer de Monaco, which organizes the event, promises through a press release that “at nightfall, the stage is transformed to reveal extravagant characters and decorations that evolve until dawn. with elegance. The metamorphosis towards an aurora borealis with tangy colors takes all the guests on a “crazy evening””. On the show side, Christian Louboutin has imagined with the collective of artists House of Drama, “a show that takes us back in time, which takes us into a colorful fresco crossing the century of Bauhaus through Art Deco to arrive at Disco “, indicates the text again, specifying that the evening will be “with the participation of Stéphane Bern”.
A raffle with luxury watch and subscription to the Yacht Club
According to Henry-Jean Servat, the Bal de la rose is “an unchanging evening” which “has not changed for 40 years”. He underlines: “What is interesting to see is that we discover a different picture of the princely family at each evening. I was present when it was Prince Rainier III who opened the ball, then Albert II with his sister when he was not married, and finally with Charlene. »
The family also arrives like “for the Oscars in Hollywood”, with the whole room rising as they pass, once all the guests are installed. There is also a raffle where the prizes for gifts are in the range of a luxury watch or a Yacht Club membership.
“If the Bal de la rose opens the season of social events, it is that of the Red Cross that ends them, says Henry-Jean Servat. It is also a charity gala with the same elite and the arrival of an international star. The Red Cross ball welcomed Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Trenet but also Joséphine Baker. For its 73rd edition, it will take place on July 18 at the Monte-Carlo casino with Alicia Keys in concert. “Elegant outfit” mandatory and a ticket for 800 euros for the cocktail and to see the performance of the New York star.