Londoners Make the Annual Trek to Cartier Polo

From left: Henry Beckwith and Geri Halliwell, David Gandy, and Holly Valance.

Gray clouds lurked ominously on the horizon this weekend as 30,000 people descended upon the Guards Polo Club, in England’s Great Windsor Park, for the 26th annual Cartier International Polo. Not only did the weather hold but England beat its New Zealand opponent nine to seven to take home the Coronation Cup, wiping away last year’s memories of defeat at the hands of the Argentineans. But polo has never been the main draw here—the real fun is off-pitch in the Cartier and Chinawhite tents.

After Chinawhite’s successful re-launch last September, the London club went all out, decking its tent in Oriental splendor. The red cushioned pagodas and billowing red flags complemented the Asian-inspired lunch menu—although the presence of Über-model David Gandy served to distract many of the female diners from their food. Meanwhile, over in the Cartier tent, host Arnaud Bamberger welcomed partygoers to a three-course meal by renowned chef Anton Mosimann. Guests ate underneath a topiary designed to look like a polo game, while the tent itself was decorated in purples and creams with motifs from Cartier boxes, creating a quintessentially English summertime feel.
Buoyed by the home team’s success, a party spirit was in the air as tea was served, long before the infamous annual Chinawhite party began. Model Poppy Delevigne looked eye-catching in her short red dress with matching lipstick and leather jacket, proving that polo chic need not be staid, while some Hollywood glamour came in the shape of Camilla Belle and veteran actor Tommy Lee, who looked dapper in an off-white suit. It was at Chinawhite's V.I.P. lounge where things really got rowdy later in the evening. Ali Spencer-Churchill was spotted chasing a stunning blonde around the dance floor as revelers sipped champagne. TV host Cat Deeley, wearing a vintage maxi dress, posed delightedly with a bevy of hunky army men, while Geri Halliwell eventually tired of watching the action from a private bus rooftop and pulled her beau, Henry Beckwith, down to join in the dancing. The event had to stop at 11:30 p.m. because of park restrictions, but with talk of a house party in Berkshire, as well as the usual hordes decamping back to London’s clubland, those determined to continue the festivities partied on.