NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Spring gala season tends to draw celebrated artists and fashion icons to star-studded black-tie fundraisers around New York City. With a guest list boasting Lionel Richie and Anna Wintour, The looked no different Wednesday evening.
But one distinguished guest 鈥� even if his fleeting stop consisted of a three-and-a-half-minute speech 鈥� brought a buzz that had some members of high society lining up along velvet ropes and craning their necks inside Christie’s New York auction house. That would be , who made his first appearance in the five-year history of the event supporting his nonprofit that helps young people find work.
The excitement was evident from the red carpet. Charlotte Tilbury, the British cosmetics entrepreneur, asked , who wore a sparkling blue dress, if she would tell Charles that she wore 鈥渞oyal blue just for you.鈥� Natasha Poonawalla 鈥� the executive director of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer 鈥� said 鈥渆veryone’s been waiting for him.”
鈥淚 think the fact that he鈥檚 here is going to strengthen the presence of the foundation so much more,” Poonawalla said.
It appears so. Organizers reported a record fundraising total exceeding $3 million, affirming hopes that the arrival of the monarch and Queen Camilla might boost the sum collected Wednesday as the nonprofit tries to establish an endowment for its work in the United Kingdom and deepen its relationships in more than two dozen countries.
Charles is wrapping up the first visit to the U.S. since his coronation, a four-day trip intended to from Britain and strengthen the countries’ .
The King’s Trust counts 1.5 million people worldwide who have been reached in some way by its education and employment programs over the past 50 years. In brief remarks before guests sat for dinner, Charles noted that many of their beneficiaries return to support disadvantaged young people much like themselves.
鈥淥nly now do quite a lot of them actually admit they were started (here),鈥� he joked.
Edward Enninful, the former editor-in-chief of British Vogue and a co-chair of the gala, has seen the trust’s impact in West London. He said his cousins and brothers have been able to make something of their lives despite being classed by society as 鈥渘ot worthy.鈥�
He described Charles’ appearance as the nonprofit’s 鈥済lory moment.”
鈥淗e鈥檚 set the example that philanthropy matters,” Enninful told The Associated Press. “No matter how well you are doing, you鈥檙e not doing enough unless you鈥檙e passing it on to a newer generation.鈥�
The event was more intimate than previous years with just about 160 guests. There weren’t musical performances either; Richie informed guests from the get-go that he wouldn’t be singing, prompting Charles to joke that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer 鈥渕ust gargle with port.鈥� Other attendees included supermodels Karlie Kloss and Iman, actors Leo Woodall and Meghann Fahy as well as designers Donatella Versace and Stella McCartney.
Stewart recalled her own luck as she built a multi-million-dollar media empire centered around cooking, entertaining and homemaking. The lifestyle entrepreneur said she paid for her 鈥渇ine education鈥� through scholarships. And she was fortunate that all of her jobs were 鈥渆xcellent.鈥�
鈥淏ut I know today there鈥檚 a big challenge in getting a good job, a big challenge in getting a good education,鈥� she said. “And we鈥檙e here to help those people.鈥�
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