Each October, the winners are recognized at the annual Princess Grace Awards Gala at New York’s landmark Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The Gala brings together trustees, advisory board members, and benefactors to celebrate and honor the year’s award winners. In 2003, the festivities began with an elegant Perrier Jouët Champagne reception. In the hotel’s decorated Grand Ballroom, some 500 guests looked on as Prince Albert and John Lehman presented awards and honors to this year’s class of 31 emerging artists. Famed dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking helped open the festivities, and actor Michael C. Hall was on hand to present a Princess Grace Statue Award to Kate Robin, a writer and producer of HBO’s “Six Feet Under.”
Attendees dined on lobster mango salad and filet mignon, participated in a silent auction, enjoyed a performance by two of the evening’s honored dancers, and later, took to the dance floor to the big band jazz rhythms of the Count Basie Orchestra. The Gala also brought to New York Lynn Wyatt, a close friend of Princess Grace and longtime Foundation trustee. Mrs. Wyatt, who hails from Houston, Texas, has hosted presidents, prime ministers, premiers, and plenipotentiaries from around the world. Prince Albert calls Wyatt, “an enchanting lady,” and praises her commitment to the Foundation. “Lynn was a true and loyal friend to my mother. She very kindly extends that loyalty and devotion to the Foundation.”
Wasn't it Lynn and Oscar's son, who was caught sucking the toes of a topless Fergie, on the French Riviera, or some such place, whilst she was still married to Randy Andy and their daughters were with her, on vacation?
Royal mess
October, 2003
In a recent article about royal wrecks ("The Wild Bunch," August), you reported that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, had had her toes sucked by Steve Wyatt, Lynn Wyatt's son. I have read elsewhere that the toe-sucker was her financial adviser, John Bryan. It was Wyatt, however, who introduced Bryan to Fergie.
Fergie became involved with an American businessman, Steve Wyatt, and their relationship was trumpeted in the press. Fergie implies in her autobiography that they were just friends, but her former psychic advisor, Madame Vasso, claims in her book Fergie: The Very Private Life of the Duchess of York that Fergie and Wyatt had an affair.
And she out and out lied about her relationship with Steve Wyatt. In this book she says that they were "just friends" which is simply not true. Madame Vasso, Lesley Player, Allan Starkie, John Bryan among other all verified independently that she had an intense sexual relationship with Steve Wyatt. She glosses over this fact in her book when she claims that "a friend" asked her to receive Dr. Salaman Rushdi for a brief drink at the palace. She neglects to say that this "friend" was her lover, Steve Wyatt. And if they were "just friends" as she claims, then why did she have to have his apartment (or "Flat") "searched from top to bottom" when he moved out? She said that it was the "danger of a frame up" and indeed there were more than 100 pictures taken of her and Steve Wyatt that proved to be her downfall found in the apartment. And if she was "just friends" with him, then there should have been absolutely NOTHING that would indict her in an extra marital affair.
A series of photos published in early 1992 left the British in no doubt that Sarah had been playing around -- from the pictures of her with Texan Steve Wyatt, to the famous "toe sucking" pictures that scandalised even a public used to naked women on Page 3 of their national papers.
Then there have been the men who rushed through Fergie's life, and thus those of her two daughters. First, there was oil heir Steve Wyatt. Then, Fergie took up with her toe-sucking financial adviser John Bryan, to whom Beatrice is said to have become close. After that there was Fergie's flirtation with Italian Count Gaddo della Gherardesca.
******
there was David Ober, Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Joan Chorney (Marvin Davis’ sister); that Texas gal who hardly ever stays home, Joanie Schnitzer Levy and her husband Irv – who were about to held off to the Greek islands for a cruise on their yacht and then to the Hotel du Cap for Lynn Wyatt’s annual birthday party which takes place next Monday at her Villa Romana in Cap d’Antibes. The glitterati from all over the globe fall all over themselves in a rush to Madame Wyatt’s boitday.
Now, if that’s not enough, many of these intrepid travelers, quite a few who’d come from the American Friends of Versailles doings in Paris (and Versailles), were moving on down to the south to Antibes and Monte Carlo for Lynn Wyatt’s birthday, and also, for those special few, to the 18th birthday party that Princess Caroline of Monaco aka Princess Ernst of Hanover and her husband Prince Ernst are giving for her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi in Monte Carlo. Charlotte is, as many know, the granddaughter of America’s adored, late great movie star, Grace Kelly, Princess Grace of Monaco.
Lynn Wyatt- Grande Patron of the Arts
André Leon Talley, Vogue’s regal, supersize editor-at-large, on the other hand, is more than happy to say more than is strictly necessary. “With total modesty, I’d say that this is the most important social and fashion party of the year,” he pronounces, and then goes on to elucidate the ways in which the Costume Institute Ball is superior. “The fashion is more confident,” he declares. “It’s not some haphazard stylist saying suddenly, ‘Oh, you should wear this.’ Women like Lynn Wyatt know who they are.”
Lynn Wyatt – the Texas beauty and international icon of style – was there, of course, talking about the Costume Institute Ball held the night before at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It previewed a Chanel exhibit, and was, she said, "fabulous!"
New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham chortled as he left the Carlyle cocktail party. "Lynn didn't see the rats," he said.
Black tie optional
A bewildering dress directive for many guests, this option is considered by many etiquette experts to be very confusing.
It's the worst phrase in the English language, says Baldrige.
Dallas socialite Lynn Wyatt looks in horror at an invitation that uses this phrase. When it does appear, she says she never dresses up. As do most people who take the word optional to mean they don't have to wear black tie. Those few who do dress up often feel out of place, making for a very mixed-up (and mixed-dress) crowd.
Oscar This-and-That
It wasn't until I re-read some of the Oscar coverage I missed last week that something clicked. It was mentioned in Liz Smith's syndicated column that Houston socialite Lynn Wyatt was very much on the scene all Oscar weekend, particularly at the side of none other than Elton John.
What a dynamic friendship they have. I guess Wyatt is very interested, as everyone should be, in Elton's AIDS Foundation. It's one of the few charities run in the name of a celebrity that actually donates money to needy causes.
the raucous Texas-sized cookout served by Lynn Wyatt
******
On July 16, Oscar Wyatt flew in from Texas to give the annual birthday party for wife Lynn. Mr. Wyatt has been giving the birthday party for 30 years, which was just about an hour ago, and it remains one of the highlights of the season of the summer in the south of France. The party, called “La Vie Rose” was at their villa La Romana, overlooking all of St. Jean Cap Ferrat. Costume instructions called for the wearing of the pink. So everyone, every one, was pretty in pink. There was a fabulous buffet for all those appetites made heartier by the sun and the salt water, and the dancing lasted until the sun was coming up over the Alps.
The birthday girl was in an Oscar de la Renta pink beaded silk, passing on her famous Wyatt emeralds for something a little more summery – turquoise – to accessorize..
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/08_03_04/images/scan0007.jpg
The tables at Lynn Wyatt's party
Lynn Wyatt's birthday party, “La Vie Rose,” at villa La Romana, overlooking all of St. Jean Cap Ferrat
http://tinyurl.com/bmvfz
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/08_03_04/images/scan0010.jpg
Countess Cristina de Caraman and Lynn Wyatt
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/08_03_04/images/scan0027.jpg
Cate and Steve Wyatt (her son (Fergie's fling) & daugher-in-law)
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/08_03_04/images/scan0029.jpg
Oscar and Lynn Wyatt
