Column: Duchess' ease at high elevations is a lesson for Palm Beach social climbers
Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland, made lots of friends on her past visits to Palm Beach, during which she talked about her devotion to restoring Belvoir Castle, her husband's ancestral home in Leicestershire, England.
But devotion, as it turns out, is a long way up — and down.
Wanting to give her Instagram followers a better idea of the enormous scope of her efforts to repair and restore the 400-year-old building, the duchess scaled the walls of the enormous manor to check out the ancient roof, and then rappelled back down.
All this all while two of her five children were taking photographs and shouting encouragement and filming for Instagram.
"Shouting encouragement" is not quite as helpful as "Let one of us do it, Mum, so you don't hurt yourself," but, you know, mothers and kids. We take the emotional crumbs when what we really want is the whole flippin' cake.
But Her Grace made it in one piece and she will be in Palm Beach next weekend ― along with her husband David, the 11th Duke of Rutland, and their heir-spare-and-three-ladies brood ― to raise some American cash to fund the castle project.
What with the Instagram post being so popular, she's decided that for Saturday night's event, she will don full duchess-y regalia and rappel down the south tower of The Breakers.
OK, not really.
But we're attending anyway ... just in case.
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Hey, aren't you?: We hear that next month's Palm Beach benefit for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will absolutely be teeming with famous faces.
Actress Julianna Margulies will host the event, which will honor Dionne Warwick for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees will present the award to Warwick and Tom Ford will present the Philanthropic Leadership Award to Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger.
Singer/actress Amber Riley from "Glee" will perform as an opening act to Sting ― that's right, Sting — and Kris Jenner and Bon Jovi are confirmed to attend.
The event will take place March 2 at the landmarked Fatio home of co-chairs James and Lisa Cohen.
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Birthday goes to the dogs:Kim and Greg Dryer welcomed philanthropist Jean Shafiroff and 100 of her friends to a party in their midtown home honoring Shafiroff's birthday.
Jean asked that, in lieu of gifts, donations be given to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and even made a donation herself in honor of her guests. There: Martin Shafiroff, Candace Bushnell, Lenny Lauren, Ramona Singer, fashion designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Judith Giuliani, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Alex Donner, Anka Palitz, Lieba Nesis, Alex Hamer, James McCarthy, Pamela O'Connor, Robert and Robin Baker Leacock, Kate Ericson, Rick Rose, Camilla Webster, and Ava Roosevelt.
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The color of hope: Yellow is the official color of Audrey Gruss' Hope for Depression Foundation (HDRF).
Usually.
But for one night, it was green. As in greenbacks.
Gucci’s new boutique on Worth Avenue honored Gruss and the foundation at a combination cocktail party and shop-a-thon.
More than 100 guests browsed the new boutique, which featured jewelry and made-to-order evening gown collections. Models walked the floor to show off the latest Gucci creations and every purchase included a donation.
Seen: HDRF executive director Louisa Benton, board member Scott Snyder, junior committee members Bettina Anderson, Sarah Wetenhall, Nick Mele, Hollis Pica, Whitney Schott, Devon McCready, Grace Hyde Walker, Jane Stevens, Ivey Sophir, Katherine Lande, Kevin Condon; as well as Joey Wolffer, Logan Horne, Tatiana Platt, Kelly and Carlos Barel Di Sant’Albano, Elysze Held, Karla Gelina, Summer Marshall, Meghan Klopp, Ginny Sydorick, Jennifer Fischer, Amy Hoadley, Christine Schott, Jill Brooke and the Gucci team of Nancy Argott, Geraldine French and Monica Badosa.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Society: Peggy Adams, amfAR, HDRF and Belvoir Castle
