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HE very best of New York
society, adorned in lovely gowns, filled the elegant Grand Ballroom of
The Plaza to celebrate British excellence in the company of two Yorks
– Michael York, one of the finest actors of the Mother Country, and
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
The awards gala was organized
by the Walpole Committee which, as chairman Jeremy Franks explained,
was started eight years ago by eight British companies “who decided
that we should not be so humble, but go out and promote British
products.”
Now there are 30 companies
involved, plus 11 cultural institutions. The dinner raised $200,000
which will benefit two organizations engaged in fighting cancer:
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and the G&P Foundation for Cancer
Research.
Among the many guests were
Kim Cattrall of HBO’s Sex and the City, model James King and
rapper Chris Rock.
Three Brits and one
American were honored at the dinner. The Duchess of York bestowed the
first annual Walpole Committee Liz Tilberis Humanitarian Award upon
songwriter Denise Rich.
The gesture was highly
appropriate. Tilberis was
editor of Harper’s Bazaar when she succumbed to cancer in
April 1999. With eyes clouded, Rich accepted the award, saying, “My
mother died of lung cancer, my sister died of breast cancer, and my
daughter Gabrielle died of Hodgkin’s Disease.” That’s why Rich,
a successful songwriter, got involved in founding the G&P
Foundation for Cancer Research.
“Denise makes magic,”
the Duchess said. “Like Tinker Bell, she spreads magic pixie
dust.”
Fox News correspondent Robyn
Carter asked the Duchess how she manages to cope following the loss of
her mother, the enormous debts and weight problem.
“You just pick yourself up
off the carpet and go on,” the Duchess replied. “I’m now a
correspondent for The Today Show on NBC, I work for Weight
Watchers and I sell Wedgwood teacups.”
Looking ever so elegant and
trim, the Duchess left to catch a flight to Milwaukee for a Weight
Watchers appearance.
When it came to Michael
Dale’s turn to receive an award, the president of Jaguar Cars North
America quipped, “I’ve been sitting here apprehensively, and I was
right to sit here apprehensively.”
Michael York, in presenting
an award to Sir Howard Stringer, chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation
of America, told how they both attended Oxford University.
“It’s odd,” York said,
“that Howard came from a classical education to conquer the world of
television – veni, video, vinci – he came, he saw, he
conquered.”
“I was born in Wales,
served in Vietnam, and work for a Japanese company,” Stringer said.
“There’s a saying that in Wales we like music, the English like
the noise it makes.”
Scottish comedian Billy
Connelly had his own observations of his homeland: “Being British is
difficult. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. We seem to be duty bound to
put kilts on. I don’t see Americans putting on Davey Crockett
hats.”
Leave
it to Dame Judi Dench, the Academy Award winning actress, to put it
all in perspective: “When I came to America with the Old Vic in
1958, we were in Dallas. The very first night I went to Neiman Marcus.
There in the window was a Jaguar sports car balanced on four Wedgwood
cups.” 
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