A High Summer Feast at the 'Cartier International' Polo July 1999

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There is no doubt about it - the annual Cartier International Polo Match held at Smith's Lawn (a mere stone's throw from Windsor Castle) has become a 'must' in the English summer social calendar.

The Coronation Cup

It is the venue for a unique gathering of royalty, celebrities - and, just occasionally, the odd polo fancier - all of whom are wined and dined in sumptuous marquees, artistically decorated and adorned with lavish floral arrangements. With catering by the renowned Anton Mosimann, this is probably one of the few events of the 'season' where there are no complaints about the food! The rich and the famous were naturally segregated from the spectators - their marquees set apart in discreetly guarded white-railed enclosures, but eventually those entertained within did make their way back to the stands for the afternoon's sporting highlight - and, of course, in order to be seen by the remainder of the large crowd. The rumour soon spread that none other than the new royal heart throb, Prince William, had been spotted escorting some very pretty girls, trying to hide, in vain, behind some very obvious looking 'shades' that failed miserably as a form of disguise.

It might be thought that those with a serious interest in the game of polo would be dismayed by the attention given to the social aspect of the occasion. On the contrary, it is the solid base on which the sport has thrived in England ever since Prince Philip played his first chukka in public! The participation of Prince Philip and, later, Prince Charles, during the latter part of the 20th Century has ensured the sport a continued high profile, often beyond the quality of events on the playing field, and enabled a sport which used to be considered elitist to flourish and grow at all levels. Thus devotees of the sport are very conscious of their debt to the Royal Family and the fact that Prince William has taken a genuine interest in both learning to play polo and in watching it augurs very well indeed for the future. Cartier will therefore feel very gratified that he chose to attend and very visibly had a wonderful day. Nor was he the only member of the Royal Family to do so, since for his grandparents, the Cartier International is one of their more enjoyable royal engagements and Her Majesty looked very relaxed and delighted by the afternoon's entertainment. As with horse racing, she is a very knowledgeable spectator and takes a genuine interest in the proceedings.

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