Prince Charles

Prince Charles' Ferrari Daytona Up for Auction

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona - chassis #16531

A very special Ferrari is set to cross the auction block in May. One of only 1,400 examples made, and only 158 in right-hand drive, this metallic blue 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona has some very prominent provenance indeed.

Chassis #16531 most recently appeared on an episode of the hit BBC television program Top Gear, where celebrity presenter Richard Hammond drove it along the riviera from Portofino to Saint-Tropez while his co-host James May raced him in a speedboat. But long before the filming of the episode, its first owner was none other than HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. The car is being auctioned by Historics at Brooklands and is expected to fetch around £180,000 - £210,000.

Gallery: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona #16531

Source

Tags: brooklands, daytona, ferrari, ferrari 365 gtb4 daytona, ferrari daytona, historics, historics at brooklands, luxury car, prince charles, top gear

Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Wealth

William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

1,900 people just received their invitations (above) to the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29. The heavy card bearing the engraved gold insignia of the Queen of England was delivered to various VIPs from kings to charity leaders, close family and university friends, old schoolmates and prime ministers around the world, People reports. The edges of the card, which is about 10 in. by 6 in., are beveled and then gilded. The simple wording reads that the Lord Chamberlain has been "commanded by the Queen" to invite the holder to the ceremony. Guests are asked to wear military uniform, a morning coat or a "lounge" (business) suit. 600 of the 1,900 invitees have also been invited by the Queen to a reception immediately following the ceremony, and 300 of those are also invited to a dinner hosted by William's father, Prince Charles, later that evening at Buckingham Palace.

Tags: British royalty, Buckingham Palace, Kate Middleton, London, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Wedding, royalty, UK, wedding

Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto

On Monday, January 24th, Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in Manhattan will feature a unique five course meal specially prepared by by Dario Cecchini, world famous butcher and chef, who will travel from Italy for the event.

"Dario is the Maserati of butchers, the Bob Dylan of the Tuscan cow, the Jimi Hendrix of juiciness," an enthusiastic Batali told Luxist. "There is not one person more integrally involved in the true Italian beef experience than this single heroic figure. He can recite Dante and sing Verdi while taking a half a cow down to individual portions in an hour."

Often referred to as the "Michelangelo of Meat", Cecchini has a unique philosophy of respect for each and every part of the animal. He works with whole animals, beef and pork, utilizing each cut to its greatest potential, transforming what some might regard as lesser cuts into tasty dishes. Dario's consideration for the entire animal follows his family's traditions-they've been butchers for over 250 years, and at home they prepared the cuts that clients weren't interested in.

Cecchini's passion, hospitality and expertise have won him recognition from the likes of Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver and Prince Charles. His butcher shop, Antica Macelleria Cecchini and restaurants Solociccia, Officina della Bistecca and Dario+ in the Panzano village of Chianti, Italy, are well-known culinary destinations for food-lovers from all over the world.

The evening on January 24 will begin with a cocktail reception from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm featuring Del Posto Executive Chef Mark Ladner's selection of passed assaggi (hors d'oeuvres), Bellinis and Fontodi Chianti.

Guests will be seated at 8:00 pm in the Piemonte room at Del Posto for the five course meal.

Gallery: Mario Batali's Del Posto

A view of the interior of Del Posto from the lounge

Tags: Alice Waters, Anthohy Bourdain, Dario Cecchini, Del Posto, dining, dining out, Jamie Oliver, Mario Batali, Mark Ladner, Prince Charles

Continue reading “Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto”

Warhol's Charles and Diana Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The Opera Gallery in London is hoping to cash in on royal wedding fever, putting two portraits by artist Andy Warhol up for sale that were created to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The AFP reports that the gallery acquired the original synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas pieces from a private collection. These pieces were initially sold to a private collector in 1982 and haven't been for sale since. The large portraits show Diana in a formal gown against a pink background while Charles is in a uniform against a blue background. The gallery will be selling them as a set for 2 million pounds ($3.15 million).

Tags: andy warhol, prince charles, princess diana

Prince William and Kate Middleton Swear to Live Without Servants

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Soon-to-be-married couple Prince William and Kate Middleton say they do not plan to employ any servants in their royal household. Although William's father Prince Charles employs an army of 150 retainers, William and his new wife will not have so much as a single Jeeves to fetch their tea, the London Telegraph reports. The future King and Queen of England have been doing their own shopping, cooking and even cleaning at the rented cottage they occupy on weekends, the paper notes, and plan to continue in that vein once vows have been exchanged.

The only staff they can't dispense with are the bodyguards detailed to provide security for the heir to the throne. The couple apparently believe that sharing their home with servants would ruin the intimacy of their relationship. "It's very much their instinct to manage on their own," a senior royal source tells the paper. "They want to do their duty and make sure they are a real asset to the country but they are private individuals who want to get on with their lives." Of course all that will have to change when the couple move in to Buckingham Palace.

Tags: aristocrats, British royalty, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince William, royal family, royalty, UK, wealth

The Classicist: The Ultimate Guide to Savile Row Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist, Luxury Shopping

When James Sherwood's brilliant book on bespoke tailoring called The London Cut came out in 2007, to accompany a Savile Row exhibition at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, we regretted only that it was in softcover and such a small format. Now Rizzoli has rectified that with a suitably statuesque volume by Sherwood expanding on the subject, lavishly illustrated and encyclopedic in scope. Bespoke: The Men's Style of Savile Row begins with the opening of Henry Poole & Co. in 1806 and follows the illustrious history of London's custom tailoring tradition. Famous adherents of 'The Row' through the years from Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, the Duke of Windsor and Winston Churchill to latter-day dandies like Prince Charles, Mick Jagger and David Beckham are also discussed.

From its rather humble beginnings Sherwood discusses Savile Row's role in tailoring for the sporting set, the military and Royalty, the phenomenal influence the houses have had in the sartorial style of the silver screen - where else would James Bond get his threads? - the Row's evolution as "bespoke" was challenged by the mod rock & roll fashion revolution, and its embrace of fashion-forward newcomers like Tommy Nutter, Richard James and Ozwald Boateng, leading a revival of an art form that looked at one time to be doomed to obsolescence, now flourishing in its 200th year.

The style of each of the street's premier tailors is presented in detail along with the immeasurable impact Savile Row style has had on the work of international designers like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and Tom Ford, who contributed a foreword to the book. "English gentlemen's tailoring, and in particular the tailoring of Savile Row, really set the standard for the way the stylish 20th-century man dressed," Ford writes. "This English style, in fact, became the international style for well-dressed men all over the world, and this influence has not waned even in today's more casual world. I suppose that when it comes to men's clothes I am an Anglophile and if I did not design my own men's collection, I would have virtually my entire wardrobe made on Savile Row."

Gallery: Savile Row Bespoke

Tags: bespoke, books, Cary Grant, coffee table books, Duke of Windsor, England, Fred Astaire, Henry Poole Co., James Bond, James Sherwood, London, mens style, Ozwald Boateng, Prince Charles, Ralph Lauren, Rizzoli, Savile Row, Tom Ford, UK, Winston Churchill

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Ultimate Guide to Savile Row Style”

The Classicist: Etiqueta Negra Launches 'Classic Cars' Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist, Luxury Shopping

This season Argentina-based design house Etiqueta Negra, known for its modern take on masculine, equestrian and sporting style, is launching a new men´s collection inspired by one of our favorite things: classic cars. The company's Classic Cars Collection features casual wear such as sweaters, t-shirts, jeans, down vests and leather jackets characterized by clean lines and neutral colors - black, white and dark gray - with a touch of yellow in the detailing designed to evoke traditional motor racing livery. The sporty and sleek pieces range in price from $40 to $1,200 for a leather motorcycle jacket.

"I've had a passion for automobiles since I was a child and am an avid car collector," explains the label's founder Federico Alvarez Castillo. "This appreciation for beautiful cars has played a central role in the design and aesthetic of Etiqueta Negra as a brand from its inception. It was only appropriate to integrate the vehicles into the design of the clothes." Etiqueta Negra, which means "Black Label", is committed to impeccable craftsmanship and the highest quality fabrics, from Pima cotton to fine denim, cashmere and merino.

They also offer a line of leather shoes designed exclusively for them by Casa Fagliano, the Argentina-based maker of Prince Charles' bespoke polo boots. Prices for the princely footwear begin at $2,500 a pair. Etiqueta Negra also sponsors a polo team in Argentina called Ellerstina, ranked as one of the country's best, which serves as the mascot for its Polo Team Collection comprised of chic sporting classics. Both collections are now available in the company's stores, including the recently opened New York outpost. The stylish spaces (above) are decorated with vintage leather luggage, racing helmets and handmade riding boots set against a background of dark wood paneling, iron beams, black and white photography and vintage-inspired industrial lighting.

Gallery: Etiqueta Negra Classic Cars

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Argentina, car, classic cars, equestrian, Etiqueta Negra, Ferrari, horses, leather, luggage, Maserati, mens style, motor racing, motorcycle, New York, polo, Prince Charles, Sienna Miller, sporting

Continue reading “The Classicist: Etiqueta Negra Launches 'Classic Cars' Collection”

Frosdick of London Offers World's Most Expensive Bespoke Wardrobe

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

Frosdick of London, makers of the beautiful bespoke safari boots we wrote about back in April, is offering a unique opportunity to acquire "the most expensive wardrobe in the history of tailoring" - complete with a custom luxury car to match - for $1 million. The one-of-a-kind "Million-Dollar Dandy" package includes 14 bespoke Savile Row suits, made from the purchaser's choice of the world's finest fabrics; 28 custom-tailored dress shirts; 28 custom-made silk ties; and 14 pairs of bespoke shoes and boots created from exotic leathers. The suits, shirts and ties will all be handmade by Henry Poole of Savile Row, the famed tailor favored by British royalty. The shoes and boots will be crafted by another royal favorite, London's Schnieder of Clifford Street. Complementing the more formal attire will be a selection of elegant smoking jackets and dressing gowns.

The latter will be made by Prince Charles' tailor Turnbull & Asser, enhanced by discreet accents in diamonds and precious metals, along with the Million-Dollar Dandy crest. All measurements and subsequent fittings prior to actual completion will be carried out in London. Frosdick of London will then commission the Queen of England's nephew, furniture designer Viscount David Linley, to craft a bespoke wardrobe in precious woods to house it all. Finally, the Million-Dollar Dandy will receive a bespoke motorcar hand built by Bristol, the last wholly British-owned luxury car builder in existence. The truly unique vehicles are not sold through any dealers or distributors, maintaining the note of ultimate exclusivity conveyed by the custom clothing. Email david@frosdickoflondon.com for more info.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: bespoke, Bristol, British royalty, David Linley, Frosdick of London, London, mens style, most expensive, Prince Charles, Queen of England, Savile Row, suit, tailoring, UK

Prince Charles Presides at Cartier International Polo

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports

HRH Prince Charles presided over the Royal Box at the 26th annual Cartier International Polo Day at the UK's Guards Polo Club in Great Windsor Park the other day. The celebrated event, previewed in The Classicist's column on the English summer social season, is the sport's most prestigious. The bands of the Welsh and Irish Guards and the Light Cavalry of the Honourable Artillery Company performed prior to the contest. The Prince, who arrived in his vintage Aston Martin, was joined by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones and Sir Ben Kingsley to watch as England triumphed over New Zealand to capture the coveted Coronation Cup. VIP guests were served a luncheon by chef Anton Mosimann of champagne, Scottish lobster and Chateaubriand followed by Grand Marnier parfait with raspberry coulis. James Beim, captain of the New Zealand team, was awarded the trophy for Most Valuable Player.

Gallery: Cartier International Polo 2010

Tags: Aston Martin, Cartier, equestrian, New Zealand, Polo, Prince Charles, royalty, sporting, sports, Tommy Lee Jones, UK

Rare Aston Martins & More at British Classic Car Meeting in St. Moritz

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

On July 9 – 11 some of the world's finest Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar motor cars will converge on the chic Swiss resort of St. Moritz for the 17th annual British Classic Car Meeting. The ultra-stylish event features a series of outings, a rally and concours d'elégance. Set against the breathtaking Alpine scenery 5,900 ft. above sea level in the elegant environs favored by the likes of Prince Charles, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Hurley and George Clooney, it's an elegant showcase for the UK's famed marques mentioned above as well as some historical makes like Lagonda, Daimler and Austin-Healey. Museum pieces like pre-war Rolls-Royce open tourers compete against rarities like this Aston Martin DB6 shooting brake, fully kitted out for skiing and picnicking, with prizes for different classes and periods. On July 10 there will be a gala dinner with entertainment and dancing at the luxurious 5-star Suvretta House hotel.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Classic British Cars in St. Moritz

Tags: Alps, Aston Martin, Bentley, classic cars, concours delegance, Jaguar, Prince Charles, Rolls-Royce, shooting brake, St. Moritz, Suvretta House, Swiss Alps, Switzerland

Cufflinks Made from Prince Charles' Aston Martin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

A while back when Prince Charles converted his beloved 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Volante, a 21st birthday present from his mummy the Queen of England, to run on wine, there were some spare engine parts left over. Now London-based TMB Artmetal, makers of "provenance" items fashioned from parts of automotive, aeronautic, locomotive and maritime icons, has come out with limited edition cufflinks made from the original aluminum engine pistons removed during the conversion. There are two editions of 100 pairs, each priced at £995 or about $1,600, finished with 18ct gold. One edition is an exact, miniature sculpture of the DB6 Volante, whilst the other replicates the car's iconic wheel spinners – the quick-release fixing that secures the Aston's wheels. All profits go to Charles' youth charity, The Prince's Trust.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Aston Martin, AstonMartin, biofuel, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, cufflinks, London, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, UK

Prince Charles Has A Plan To Help The Wool Industry

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Britain's royal family wears a lot of wool, always has. Now Prince Charles, long known for his eco-minded focus, is turning his attention to the wool industry. The London Times says that the Prince of Wales is looking to create a new green label for wool products. Part of the initiative would include Wool Week, taking place before London's Fashion Week in September and promoting wool as a fashionable option for winter wardrobes. The wool week would be backed by Marks and Spencer.

Wool has fallen out of fashion in recent years and the price of wool has declined. The Prince hopes his efforts will help make wool more popular once again for both clothing and carpet and rugs. Wool has a bad reputation as being bulky and itchy but the new push for wool plans to highlight the green benefits and beauty of wool compared to synthetic materials. Modern wool fabrics are also sleeker and softer and are being used in more innovative ways by top designers showing up in traditional Savile Row suits but also in wool bags from Marni and trendier pieces from Burberry and Paul Smith.

The Prince has his own organic flock of sheep and is aware of how lowering wool prices have affected farmers. British wool competes with wool from Australia, New Zealand and China among other countries.

This initiative dovetails with the British Wool Marketing Board's 'Naturally Green' campaign. A recent environmental Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) report found that the impact of British wool on the environment is measurably less than either nylon or polypropylene fibers and concludes that the sustainability of scoured British wool production is much better than that of polypropylene and nylon fiber productions. The British Wool Marketing Board wants manufacturers and retailers to consider British wool as their first choice for carpet.

Tags: british wool, BritishWool, prince charles, PrinceCharles, wool, wool industry, WoolIndustry

The Classicist: Rambling in the 2010 Range Rover Sport

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist

The Range Rover is the automotive embodiment of a distinctly upper class British sporting aesthetic, as quintessentially English and aristocratic as the country houses dotting the verdant landscape. The luxe SUV was introduced in 1970, expanding upon the utilitarian Land Rover first designed by the Wilks Brothers in 1948. The preferred country conveyance of Prince Charles and his kin, the marque continues to dominate the upper end of the SUV spectrum in the UK and abroad despite having passed out of British hands.

For 2010 the Range Rover and its rakish younger sibling, the Range Rover Sport, were treated to a makeover encompassing several significant engineering and design upgrades. We had a chance to ramble 'round the scenic byways of Vermont recently in the latter. At 375 hp, the normally aspirated Sport model has nearly the same power as the previous year's supercharged version, capable of 0 - 60 mph in 7.2 seconds (just 0.1 seconds off the pace of the outgoing supercharged unit).

The Sport's smooth, refined, responsive performance and good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects. For 2010 the exterior has a somewhat cleaner, more sculpted appearance. LED headlamps combine with a new two-bar grille, front bumpers and fenders to create a more sporting, aerodynamic, low-slung stance. At the rear, new light clusters and a revised bumper design mirror the smoother front-end. The interior has been comprehensively redesigned as well, using higher quality materials and finishes.

Gallery: 2010 Range Rover Sport

Leather is used extensively on major surfaces, in a wider choice of colors. To create a more sporting feel, rich dark shades "sandwich" narrow sections in lighter tones, completed by a generous selection of stylish wood finishes. There are luxurious new seats front and rear, which feature a deeper, more sculpted shape. A new adaptive sport mode provides more aggressive shift points and "learns" an individual driver's style to provide more appropriate responses to throttle inputs. The supercharged model now comes with F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel as well.

The fascia-mounted touch-screen system houses a new hard-drive navigation system while a new portable audio interface also allows connectivity to an array of personal audio storage devices, USB sticks and iPods. A new Surround Camera System features five digital cameras which relay a near 360-degree view to the touch-screen display. You can even zoom in. And one of our favorite new features is the automatic High Beam Assist technology, which turns them on and off as needed, detecting preceding and approaching traffic. Perfect for those country roads at night.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, Land Rover, LandRover, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Range Rover, RangeRover, sporting, SUV, UK

Etiqueta Negra, Equestrian Style from Argentina

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Shopping, Shoes, Sports, Men's Style

The recently-opened Etiqueta Negra boutique in downtown Manhattan has brought a modern take on masculine, equestrian style all the way from Buenos Aires. The store, which features among other décor elements a 1938 Alfa Romeo racecar (above), carries suits, jackets, jeans and shirts, as well as a line of leather shoes designed exclusively for Etiqueta Negra by Casa Fagliano, the Argentina-based maker of Prince Charles' bespoke polo boots. Prices for the princely footwear, which is not available anywhere else in the U.S., begin at $2,500 a pair. They also carry polo gear as well as women's clothing, though the emphasis is on the menswear.

Related: The Classicist: On Equestrian Style; The Classicist: Exploring the Wide World of Polo

Tags: Alfa Romeo, AlfaRomeo, Argentina, Buenos Aires, BuenosAires, equestrian, Etiqueta Negra, EtiquetaNegra, Manhattan, New York, NewYork, polo, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, sporting

The Classicist: Polistas - For Polo Players, By Polo Players

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Enthusiasm for the noble sport of polo and the luxurious lifestyle it entails has never been more in evidence. It seems the economic downturn has done little to dampen it, perhaps because polo's roots are so steeped in class and tradition. Over the past several months we saw Veuve Clicquot stage the first polo match in New York City in over 70 years; St. Regis inaugurate a major new International Polo Cup; the Snow Polo championships take place in Aspen and St. Moritz; and the first Desert Palm Nations Polo Cup in Dubai. Polo player Johnny Lynn (above) saw it all coming. In 2001 he founded Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand, made for polo players by polo players, and now he's opening up branches all over the world.

Lynn, a Canadian-born former financier who plays polo internationally and teaches as well, conceived of Polistas to outfit polo teams with high quality clothing and accessories both for playing in and for après polo. An immediate success, polo and equestrian enthusiasts of all stripes soon gravitated to his flagship store in London's famed Burlington Arcade. The name Polistas is Argentine slang for "polo players" and it is the classic Argentinian polo lifestyle - rugged, laid-back and timeless - that comes through in Polistas' products and attitude. For the past six years Polistas has had a major presence at Harrods and other high-end boutiques worldwide, and has been selected as the official supplier to several major tournaments, including the Veuve Clicquot British Open Gold Cup, The Hildon Queen's Cup, and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the UK.

Gallery: Polistas Polo Style