It was the final nice dance of peacetime – jewels, ballgowns, escorts in tailcoats and a endless stream of champagne.
The principle visitors have been King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, but in addition within the crowd was younger scholar Jack Kennedy, who would sooner or later turn into the good President of the USA.
and it was daybreak earlier than the final survivors had left.
And all of this was shocking and considerably bewildering to a 17-year-old lady, Rosalind Maud Cubitt.
Rosalind Maud Shand (née Cubitt) daughter of Roland Cubitt, third Baron Ashcombe, was the mom of Queen Camilla. Right here, is her {photograph} in Bystander journal in 1939, the 12 months she first arrived
Rosalind Shand pictured along with her daughter Camilla in March 1965
Main Bruce Shand married Rosalind Cubitt in 1946 at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge.
The world got here to pay homage to this shy lady from the aristocracy, however regardless of the highlight of society falling on her for some time, she was by no means capable of make a reputation for herself.
The honour later handed to his daughter, Camilla, now our queen.
But on that scorching July evening in 1939 it was Rosalind who was the centre of consideration – though her mom Sonia, mentioned by some to be the illegitimate daughter of King Edward VII, was a detailed rival that day and on many different evenings.
So far as ostentation was involved, Sonia may simply compete with the Raja they known as 'tum-tum' and he was decided to go away no stone unturned in bringing his daughter into society.
She married the rich Lord Ashcombe, though there have been already cracks within the marriage that resulted in divorce.
The ball was held at Holland Home, the final grand mansion within the metropolis, on 50 acres of personal land in the costliest a part of London.
The clouds of warfare have been already looming – however what nobody realised after they arrived that evening was that as quickly because the final champagne glass was empty, excessive society in Britain would by no means be the identical once more. Holland Home would even be set on fireplace and destroyed within the Blitz.
MP and diarist 'Chips' Channon wrote, 'Twenty-four hours of old-world grandeur!'
'As quickly as we arrived we have been caught in a visitors jam – debutantes in pink, topped widows, ambassadors, royals – all in a crowd the likes of which I had by no means seen earlier than. Nobody may dance, nobody may transfer… Finally I discovered the Infanta Maria Cristina [daughter of the king of Spain] and Princess Cecilie of Prussia [daughter of Prussia’s Crown Prince] And I took them to a room the place we had some champagne.
'All London was current – I discovered the Queen of Spain on the couch, whereas the Queen of England was with Lord Rochester. She was wearing white and wore a crown – however was in an try to assist the King [post-Abdication] She has turn into far more outstanding and is drawing consideration to him.'
Famend band chief Ambrose introduced his musicians to play all through the evening, and floodlights have been arrange for visitors to wander round Holland Home's massive backyard.
In the meantime, the place was the star of the present? Rosalind Cubitt was the rationale her mom Sonia threw the ball – however she wasn't deemed essential sufficient to attend the pre-ball dinner hosted by Sonia.
Visitors at his desk included the King and Queen, the American ambassador Joe Kennedy, Noël Coward, the fabulously rich Maharaja of Jaipur and – alas – the well-intentioned and completely harmless Prince Frederick of Prussia, a Cambridge scholar who inside a couple of weeks was interned and briefly despatched to a Canadian detention camp.
In the meantime, younger Rosalind was entertained by her mom's outdated good friend Maria Denison, whose husband commanded the royal yacht, and by an amiable outdated Common, Desmond Beale-Browne.
Beale-Browne took command of the Royal Lancers, whose younger officers now included the 22-year-old Lieutenant Bruce Shand.
Historical past doesn’t inform whether or not Bruce and the shy Rosalind noticed one another for the primary time that evening – or whether or not she took a break from her research at Harvard to bop with the younger Jack Kennedy in London. However when peace was declared in 1945, Bruce and Rosalind married.
Although many current there had fond recollections of her lavish celebrations, for the lady herself, it was all an excessive amount of.
When the time got here to introduce their daughter Camilla into society in 1965, though they have been rich sufficient to attend, they selected a cocktail social gathering at Sears' catering room close to Knightsbridge, adopted by a gaggle dance in Surrey.
Visitors included fellow debutante Angela Neville, who dated Prince Charles earlier than Camilla; Woman Mary-Gaye Curzon, whose daughter Cressida Bonas dated Prince Harry; Miranda Seymour, who later turned an acclaimed writer; and Sally Farmiloe, who later turned a Howards Method actress however is greatest remembered for her high-profile affair with writer Jeffrey Archer throughout his defamation trial.
George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrive on the French Embassy in 1939
Joseph Kennedy, Ambassador to the Courtroom of St. James, poses along with his son John 'Jack' Kennedy, who later turned President of the USA
Diarist Henry 'Chips' Channon who attended the Ball at Holland Home in 1939
The final identify on the visitor record was Sarah Corbett, whose father Arthur – later Lord Rowallan – would go down in historical past as the person who married April Ashley, one of many first pioneers of intercourse change.
Every of those made extra headlines than Camilla Shand – till she was thrust into the highlight by being uncovered as Prince Charles's secret love in 1992. Since then, after all, she has turn into famend as a profitable and highly-respected queen consort.
However no kings or queens ever attended their coming-out dance, or any future U.S. presidents. Mom Rosalind, who died of osteoporosis in 1994, will at all times keep in mind that special occasion.
After her final waltz, they turned off the lights. And London was darkish for practically six years.
