On Thursday night, one of King Charles III’s most significant legacies was being celebrated at Casa Cipriani in downtown Manhattan, even though the guest of honor was across the pond. In the months after last year’s coronation, the foundation the king started in 1976 changed its name to the King’s Trust, and for the second year in a row, hosts Lionel Richie and Edward Enninful assembled a bi-continental crowd to celebrate its recent expansion into the US.
Richie told Vanity Fair he was sad the king couldn’t make it, but they spoke earlier this week. “How happy I am that I can say he is doing fantastic again,” said Richie, who arrived with his partner, Lisa Parigi. “I understand he needs to sit still, you know what I’m saying? The most important part is he is doing well, he’s back to his duties. Therefore I wouldn’t want the first thing for him to do is to come over to make this event. Let’s not prove anything here! But we are here to represent. We’re going to do a great job of that.”
Even without the real deal, there was a bit of representation in the form of Dominic West, The Crown’s ’90s era Charles. He came as a guest of Charlotte Tilbury, one of the night’s sponsors, and spotted a distinct glow from what he said was her “facial stuff.” Wearing a white shirt with a ruffled collar, the actor said that while he wasn’t much of a fashion plate, his cufflinks did have a special provenance. “They’re from The Crown,” he said. He added that he might have enjoyed his costumes, but his real admiration for the king came from his work with the King’s Trust.
“I think it’s one of the best charities in the world. It’s amazing what it does. I think that’s why I admire him the most, because of this charity. It’s incredible,” West said. “I’ve met lots of the kids that it has helped, and it’s had such a global reach. So I support it whenever I can.”
In conversation with reporters, Enninful said he was hoping the best for the king and Kate Middleton amid their recent health struggles. “You’ve seen the king out and about, and I’m so excited,” he said. “I just wish him the best, and the same for the Princess of Wales. I look forward to seeing them out and about, doing the great work.”
Lionel Richie and Edward EnninfulPhoto by Neil Rasmus. Courtesy of BFA.com