"One cannot have too large a party" - Jane Austen, Emma.
Things might have changed since the days of Jane Austen, but those are words we still stand by. Parties have enchanted us for centuries. From the old society balls to the roaring jazz age speakeasies, there's always been interest and intrigue as to what happens when the gilded and the glamorous let their hair down.
Here, we revisit legendary stories and scandalous titbits from some of history's starriest soirees.
Some of the most glamorous parties ever thrown in history
Capote's ‘Party of the Century’
Literary icon Truman Capote, famous for novellas including Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood, turned his imagination to the real world in 1966 when he threw what has become known as the 'Party of the Century.'
Truman’s Black and White Ball in 1966 became a defining societal moment and shook Manhattan’s elite to its core. It's been widely written about, with intel including people bribing the writer to get an invite, and the scale of it was like nothing that had come before.
"There was a slight note of insanity about the party. There is just no rational reason why the whole situation escalated,” Katharine Graham told Vanity Fair in 1996.
Inside Capote’s Black-and-White Ball
The 1966 masked ball thrown by Truman Capote is stuff of legend, and it saw a reported 540 people invited to don their finest black and white outfits, and their masks, and descend on New York City’s Plaza’s 4000 square foot Grand Ballroom.
Guests included Lauren Bacall, Lee Radziwill, Babe Paley, Frank Sinatra and many more. The event was dramatized in the Emmy nominated series, Feud: Capote vs The Swans, which starred Naomi Watts.
Various accounts of the night include there being 450 bottles of Taittinger champagne flowing, and society figure C. Z. Guest likened the flow of the Champagne to "the Mississippi, or the Nile."
Studio 54’s NYE parties
The famed (and infamous) disco mecca Studio 54 had plenty of iconic parties, but in its short tenure (it did only operate between 1977 and 1980) the New Year’s Eve parties were stuff of legend.
The two NYE parties that were hosted at the Manhattan club saw the likes of Grace Jones performing and Diana Ross, Andy Warhol and Andre Leon Talley dancing up a storm. One year, per The Rake, they even dumped four tons of glitter on the club’s floor.
Elizabeth Taylor’s 40th birthday
Elizabeth Taylor knew how to live life well, with her love of fine jewels and fine company well known.
For the screen legend's 40th birthday in 1972, her two-time husband Richard Burton had a bevvy of A-listers flown out to Budapest (Richard was located there while filming Bluebeard) to celebrate in style.
Richard Burton paid the airfare himself for one ticket per guest, and the list included Marlon Brando, Michael Caine, Baron and Baroness Guy de Rothschild, Grace Kelly and Raquel Welch.
Another reporter, who interviewed Burton and Taylor during their travels, called the party "All expenses paid, including caviar and bloaters."
Elizabeth Taylor’s 40th birthday present nearly stole the show
For Elizabeth Taylor's 40th birthday, husband Richard Burton spared no expense, flying out her Hollywood friends to Budapest. But he didn't stop there. He presented Elizabeth, known for her immense jewellery collection, with the Taj Mahal Diamond pendant.
Hanging on a ruby and gold chain by Cartier, the pendant's provenance dates back to the 17th century, when Shah Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor of India, presented the jewel to his wife. Her name is inscribed on the piece, and supposedly her death later inspired her husband to commission the construction of the Taj Mahal.
The Surrealist Ball, 1972
The Surrealist Ball was thrown by legendary society figure Baroness Marie-Hélène Rothschild at her storied palace just outside of Paris, the Chateau de Ferrières.
Among the 150 guests were Salvador Dalí, Audrey Hepburn, and members of various royal families from throughout Europe.
Marie-Hélène, one of the most connected figures of the 20th century, dressed as a fallen stag, her mask adorned with giant diamond tear drops.
Inspired by the whimsy of Dali and surrealism, the invitations were printed backwards, having to be read in the mirror; plates were covered in fur, tables were decorated with taxidermy tortoises and dessert was a life-size woman made of sugar lying on a bed of roses. Hard to find those party favours in Marks and Spencer, we expect.
Obama’s inaugural balls, 2009
For the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama, a historic moment, celebrating the first Black President, 10 official inaugural balls were held. One of the most special was the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, which was the first stop of the evening for the President and First Lady.
Barack and Michelle, wearing a white silk chiffon one-shoulder gown by Jason Wu, held each other and danced to their first song, a poignant rendition of At Last, sung by Beyoncé.
To truly mark the historic chapter, instead of closing off the inaugural balls to wealthy donors, this was the first one where tickets were mostly free and available by ballot, inviting people to party to a new day in American history.
Madonna’s pyjama party
Always one to innovate and do things differently, Madonna blurred the lines between performance and celebration in 1995, inviting hundreds of fans to partake in one of the biggest pyjama parties ever.
The unusual celebration was to celebrate Madonna's release of her single, Bedtime Story, and the wild slumber party held at New York City's Webster Hall was broadcast live on MTV.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee
Across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, the summer of 2022 was one big party celebrating 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne.
The Platinum Jubilee—or Platty Joobs, as Brits got used to calling the massive celebration—was a huge deal as no other British monarch had ever reached the milestone before.
London's streets were lined with royal fans, parties were held all over the country, and the Royal Family were on hand to sing, wave their flags and party it up in the capital, with celebrations including an epic Party at the Palace concert, which included performances by Diana Ross and Rod Stewart.
Tiffany & Co.'s one-night return to the Jazz Age
In 2013, the hottest ticket in town was blue - Tiffany Blue, to be precise.
The legendary jewellery label's Blue Book party was held at the Rockefeller Centre in New York City to celebrate both the legacy of their Blue Book, the catalogue that used to go out to society members to shop the collection, and new launches.
An exquisite, 20s-themed party, it was billed as a "one-night return to the Jazz Age" and stars including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow quaffed champagne surrounded by archival and new pieces exhibited from the jewellery house.
JFK’s birthday, 1962
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy Jr combined his 45th birthday celebrations with a fundraising rally for his political party.
The massive affair saw around 15,000 people descend on Madison Square Garden in New York for an evening of celebrity performances, including jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald.
However, the party has earned a place in the history books thanks to the now immortal appearance of Marilyn Monroe.
Arriving late, in a skintight, bedazzled dress, Marilyn sang a breathy version of Happy Birthday to the President, for whom she allegedly had had an affair with.
The 2500th Anniversary of the Persian Empire
There are big parties, and then there are... whatever this was. An indescribable celebration, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi hosted the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire in 1971, with a cost that has been debated at anything from $17M (in 1971 value) to $120M.
Erecting an elaborate city of tents around the ancient ruins of Persepolis, the the Pahlavi dynasty invited people from all over the world to highlight Iranian history.
Prince Philip and Princess Anne were just some of the royal figures who attended, and witnessed a majestic celebration including 18 tonnes of food, 4,500 bottles of wine and champagne, and 50,000 European songbirds flown in for the occasion.
A motorway, an entire airfield and an 18-hole golf course were also just some of the amenities built solely for the occasion.
The Proust Ball, 1971
To celebrate French novelist Marcel Proust’s 100th birthday, Baroness Marie-Helene de Rothschild threw an elaborate party—just one of the many she oversaw in her time—for the high society at the incomparable Chateau de Ferrieres.
Among the guests were Audrey Hepburn, Princess Grace of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton, while British society photographer Cecil Beaton was on hand to immortalise the night.
Per Vanity Fair, French actress Marisa Berenson recalled the night.
"As soon as you arrived at Ferrières, it was like going back in time, but more luxuriously with highly refined taste...The women wore dresses, bodices, big headdresses, tiaras, lots of jewellery. It was truly the era of Proust."
Bianca Jagger’s 30th birthday at Studio 54
Of the countless iconic parties held at the notorious Studio 54 hotspot, Bianca Jagger's 30th birthday in 1977 must surely come out on top.
Hosted by her friend, fashion designer Halston, the party is best remembered by the urban legend of the model riding into the nightclub on horseback.
As it turns out, Bianca Jagger did not actually ride the horse in. She instead jumped up on it, somewhat spontaneously, and had a nude man covered in gold glitter steer her around on it temporarily.
Much more demure.
Le Bal Oriental
Venice might be famous for its flowing canals, but eccentric aristocrat Carlos de Beistegui caused a different kind of splash in 1951, throwing one of the most talked about society balls in history.
While the host wore red robes, 16-inch heels and an enormous wig, guests including Christian Dior and Salvador Dali attended wearing designs that they created for one another.
The high and mighty of society arrived on gondola for the epic party.
The Battle of Versailles, 1973
Both a party, a fundraiser and a battle-cry from American fashion designers heralding a change in attitudes, the Battle of Versailles is fashion history.
By the early 70s, American fashion was slowly earning more credibility around the world - and this battle would cement their place at the upper echelons. The traditional French couturiers and designers - Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Marc Bohan, and Hubert de Givenchy - went head-to-head against American designers Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass, and Anne Klein.
Witnessing this spectacle were equally notable guests from all corners of the world, including Grace Kelly, Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli and Josephine Baker.
After seeing some of the finest fashion, everyone got to celebrate after with a cocktail party in the Royal Opera of the Chateau de Versailles.
The Sultan of Brunei’s 50th birthday, 1996
There's rich and then there's hiring Michael Jackson to put on a concert just for your birthday rich.
Lasting for close to two weeks and spread out in venues across Brunei, The Sultan made sure his 50th birthday was one for the history books. Coming in at a reported $27M, $17M was paid to Michael Jackson for an exclusive concert in a stadium built just for that purpose, attended by around 60,000 people.
Capping off his spectacular 50th birthday, the Sultan hosted a grand dinner inside his 1,778-room palace, inviting over 3000 guests. And in their party bags? Guests went home with their own custom-made gold medals.
Christies recreates Capote’s Ball, 2006
In 2006, ahead of the auction house selling off the contents of the Plaza Hotel, Christie's recreated Truman Capote's iconic 1966 Black and White Ball.
The auction house held the event at Rockefeller Centre, and they followed Capote's dress code, schedule and menu to the letter, even using the same orchestra as Capote.
The Subway premiere party for Tommy
Tommy, a cult-classic rock-opera based on the album by The Who, held its launch party in the unique location of a New York City Subway station.
Inviting guests like Andy Warhol and Elton John inside the 57th Street subway station, Ghostbusters actor Bill Murray shed some light on the party in a Reddit AMA (ask me anything).
He shared that he, along with actors John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty, and others - went in through the “back door” with the help of the caterers. There, he said to Andy Warhol, "'I love the soup can!' and he looked at me like, You don’t belong here."
VE Day
On May 8, 1945, the party to end all parties erupted around the world to mark the end of World War II.
Known as VE Day—Victory in Europe Day—people danced in the streets, embraced and celebrated the end of a dark chapter. In fact, the party atmosphere was so strong that, famously, Queen Elizabeth II (who was a young Princess at the time) and Princess Margaret were allowed to leave the Palace and take part in partying with the public.
Warner Bros recreates Rick’s Bar from Casablanca
In June 1990, there was one of the most star-studded Hollywood parties ever thrown - and it wasn't the Oscars.
To celebrate Burbank Studios renaming itself to its original moniker, Warner Bros, the studio invited hundreds to partake in a cinematic party.
Warner Bros even combined two sound stages to recreate Rick's Café from Casablanca, and guests, which included everyone from Demi Moore to Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, were treated to a night of flowing champagne and incredible production numbers.
Woodstock
Taking place on a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York, it's fair to assume that the estimated 400,000 people who attended Woodstock had no idea they were going to be involved in one of the most important counter-cultural events of all time.
Part festival, part massive party, part the pinnacle of America's growing counter-culturalism, the three-day event celebrated freedom, music and art.
Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin and The Who were just some of the artists who performed at the festival.
The 'Les Noces' premiere party
Think a party celebrating the premiere of a ballet might sound a bit, shall we say, dull? Think again.
In 1923, a cohort of artists and society figures held an all-out extravaganza to celebrate the launch of Stravinsky's ballet.
The party was hosted by George and Sara Murphy, and these two might have been the key to the success. The couple were wealthy expats who were the inspiration for Nicole and Dick Diver in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Tender is the Night.
Riding down the Seine on a barge, Pablo Picasso helped come up with the decorations and Stravinsky ended the night by jumping through a huge laurel wreath.
The Love Ball, 1991
A party with purpose, 1991's The Love Ball brought out a bevvy of pioneering artists to raise money for the fight against AIDS.
Created by nightlife pioneer Susanne Bartsch, 1991's Love Ball was a major deal, bringing the likes of Madonna, Cindy Crawford, Sandra Bernhardt and Jean Paul Gaultier to witness the wild celebrations, which included a drag show and a runway.
The 1997 Met Gala
The 1997 Met Gala was a poignant party, and one of the earlier years with the Gala under the helm of Anna Wintour who was pivoting the event from a lowkey fundraiser to a massive fashion party.
The 1997 event was notable for bringing together biggest names in fashion and showbusiness to pay tribute to the late Gianni Versace, shortly after his tragic assassination.
Admiral Russell created the world’s biggest cocktail
As it turns out, we've always loved pushing the boundaries when it comes to wild, scandalous and historic parties.
Way back in 1694, Admiral Russell, a Royal Navy officer and politician, invited 5,000 sailors to a celebratory bash, where he created what could be the biggest cocktail ever known.
The decadent lord filled a fountain with a brandy wine punch. It's widely cited that the drink was made of 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg.
To put it into context, the fountain was so large that it’s said people in canoes rowed around inside it in order to be able to serve it.
Yves Saint Laurent’s perfume launch
Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent was one of the first visionaries to transform his fashion house into a full empire, including perfumes.
For the launch of Opium in 1978, Yves hosted a now-notorious party aboard a ship called the Peking.
A reported 800 people were invited to the lavish celebration, including Cher, Truman Capote, Grace Jones and Diana Vreeland and the party décor featured 2000 white orchids and a 1000 pound Buddha.
Kate Moss's 30th celebrations
For supermodel Kate Moss, turning 30 couldn't pass by without a major celebration.
Kate, and many of her iconic friends like Stella McCartney and Naomi Campbell, celebrated the milestone birthday in 2004 by following a Beautiful and the Damned theme.
The novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was the inspiration behind the party thrown by party planner Fran Cutler, having the weekend start with champagne at the Mandarin Oriental, followed by cocktails in the Art Deco suite at Claridge’s.
It ended with the house party to end all house parties taking place across two adjoining townhouses.
Paris Hilton’s 21st birthday
Former party girl and socialite Paris Hilton reportedly went all out for her 21st birthday in 2002, with reports stating that she spent around $75,000 on each guest who were invited to her six parties held in six different cities around the world, stretched out over five days.
Elton John’s 50th party
Elton John isn't known for minimalism, so it's no surprise his 50th birthday was one for the history books.
The legendary singer invited 600 of his friends and family to London's Hammersmith Palais, where the theme was thought to be old world royalty.
Elton’s outfit was inspired by King Louis XIV, complete with a 3-foot tall wig and 15-foot feather train.
President Andrew Jackson’s wild inaugurations
Politicians can have fun, it would seem, and the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, held many a notorious bash.
He celebrated his 1829 inauguration with one of the biggest ragers the White House has ever seen - it's reported that 21,000 people showed up.
Eight years later, another party for the history books was held after President Jackson welcomed 10,000 guests to a party where the centrepiece was a 1400-pound wheel of cheese.
Cleopatra's multi-million pound cocktail
Okay so, yes, that isn’t actually Cleopatra, that’s Elizabeth Taylor. And, ok, yes, historians can’t be sure this legendary tale actually took place. But what a story it makes.
As legend goes, the Egyptian queen made a bet with her lover, Marc Antony, that she could spend 10 million sesterces (roughly equivalent to about $5M or £3.8M) on a single meal.
During the meal, Marc Antony watched on in curiosity as Cleopatra was presented with a goblet of vinegar. Proving she was unpredictable, Cleopatra then removed one of her pearl earrings - with some historians arguing this would be an incredibly valuable peal - and dropped it in the vinegar.
Once the pearl was in the vinegar, Cleopatra let it dissolve before drinking it down in front of bemused guests. A most expensive cocktail party.
-
The Essex Millionaire Murders: What did Luke D'Wit do and where is he now?A two-part ITV true crime documentary delves into the tragic deaths of Carol and Stephen Baxter at their home in April 2023.
-
Feeling sore? These 7 stretches for runners can help ease aches and improve flexibilityStretches for runners are a must-do part of any session, whether you've just run a marathon or are cooling down after 5km
