By Pamela Jacobs
Only in New York can you spend an evening in a sprawling Italian Renaissance-inspired architectural masterpiece fit for royalty, drinking and dancing with actual Eastern European royalty, listening to sexy Brazilian music, while raising money for a good cause. And only for one night, on May 13, will the city’s elite be able to do all of this and more. The Princes Ball II – A Masquerade Gala, is the big event, and it’s where all of New York’s well-heeled and fabulous will be found that evening.
For the second year in a row, this all-out extravaganza, whose patron is HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, will be a see-and-be-seen night of eating, drinking, dancing, and live music, during which New York’s cream of the crop will mingle with the royal hosts. In attendance: Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia as well as their sons, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Peter, Prince Philip, Prince Alexander, and Prince Dimitri. The venue: Cipriani 42nd Street, one of the city’s grandest, most regal settings. The beneficiary: Lifeline New York, a charity founded by HRH Crown Princess Katherine that tirelessly provides humanitarian aid to Serbia’s orphans, handicapped children, and those in need of medical help.
Founded by HRH Crown Princess Katherine in 1993, with the mission to provide assistance to all those in need, regardless of religious or ethnic origin, Lifeline provides invaluable help and relief to countless Serbians who were left helpless in the wake of a decade of destruction and chaos. Tragically, Serbia has the highest incidence of breast cancer in all of Europe, as well as the highest mortality rate of newborn infants. So what does Lifeline do to help? They provide medicine and medical equipment to those who need it most. They sponsor mobile chemotherapy units, mobile mammography units, and mobile surgical units, as well as dental surgery facilities and fully equipped ambulances. They have refurbished wards in a psychiatric hospital, brought food to refugee camps, constructed a state-of-the-art prenatal diagnostic unit, and provided lifesaving incubators, ventilators, electrocardiograms, and oxygen machines to hospitals throughout the country. Much of the medical care and equipment that we here in the United States take for granted is only a wish for so many in Serbia, and thanks to Lifeline, that wish has been granted, all because of HRH Crown Princess Katherine’s efforts.
Through Princess Katherine’s and Princes Alexander, Peter, Philip, Alexander, and Dimitri’s glamorous ball, New Yorkers can have the opportunity to simultaneously celebrate with royalty and give to this deserving and life-changing charity. The Princes Ball II is a masquerade gala featuring top DJ’s, live entertainment, dancers, and musicians. Throughout the night, while pulsating Brazilian beats keep things sizzling, the who’s who of Manhattan will enjoy a premium open bar and hors d’oeuvres, all the while wondering, “Who’s under the mask?” Guests attired in black-tie gowns, tuxedoes, costumes, and masks will hobnob with Eastern Europe’s Princes and Princess, and the society page writers will be kept busy taking notes (is that a prince dancing with that socialite’s daughter?... where did she find a couture Carnaval outfit?). Prizes will be given for the best costumes, and a silent auction will only add to the drama of the evening. Last year’s ball found the Serbian Royal family, a former Miss Universe, Doctor Ruth Westheimer, Catherine Forbes, and designer Jad Ghandour dancing under the same roof, while watching Capoeira dancers and eating cake designed by the “cake boss” himself, Buddy Valastro. As I said—only in (the kingdom of) New York.
To purchase tickets to the Princes Ball which takes place on Friday, May 13th
visit
www.PrincesBall2011.charityhappenings.org
For more information about Lifeline New York
visit www.lifelineaid.org
ALL PHOTOS OF LAST YEAR’S BALL
BY ROB RICH
