| Orchestra or Band | The Three Degrees (Helen Scott, Valerie Holiday, Sheila Ferguson)
Johnny Howard Dance Band |
| Set List | 19:15 Dancing (Johnny Howard Dance Band),
20:40 Arrival of TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales,
20:45 Dinner (Menu created by the Roux Brothers),
22:10 Raffle draw for a ruby and gold suite of Cartier jewellery worth £10,000,
22:30 Cabaret (Three Degrees),
22:45 The Hippodrome Discotheque,
23:00 Dancing (Johnny Howard Dance Band),
00:00 The Hippodrome Discotheque,
00:15 The Business Connection,
00:45 The Hippodrome Discotheque and light show,
02:00 Carriages |
| Royal Presence | HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales,
HRH Princess Diana The Princess of Wales |
| Performance Notes | "The star of last week's Birthday Ball at the Royal Albert Hall was not Ringo Starr in his flame-red bow tie; nor his wife Barbara Bach, in clinging crimson crepe and star spangled shoes; nor even the Princess of Wales in her plunge back scarlet gown.
The talk of the evening was the transformation of the cavernous Royal Albert Hall. A 400-foot frieze of masks spanned the uppermost tier. the 111 box fronts were swagged with cloth of gold and decorated with pleated fans. Banquet tables were lined with rococo bows. The decor was matched by the 1,800-strong audience who, almost to a woman, had followed the designer dictates to dress in scarlet or gold.
The culmination of (Paul) Dyson's display was an alter piece of masks banking the stage. They were designed as works of art by celebrities from Dame Elisabeth Frink's sculptural shape to Angus McBean's sequinned extravaganza. The masks included work by Sir Sidney Nolan, Andrew Logan, Zandra Rhodes and even Elton John."
(The Times, 26 November 1985)
Masks for the auction were designed by Enzo Apicella, Jane Asher, Nicola Bayley, Manolo Blahnik, Peter Blake, Arthur Boyd, Winston Branch, Ralph Brown, Barbara Cartland, Angela Chidgey, Joan Collins, Jasper Conran, Bob Crowley, Roald Dahl, Barbara Daly, Anthony Dowell, The Emanuels, Tim Fargher, Dame Elizabeth Frink, Tricia Guild, Bill Jacklin, Elton John, Angela Landels, Sandra Lawrence, Andrew Logan, Angus McBean, June Mendoza, Spike Milligan, Sir John Mills, Hean Muir, Sir Sidney Nolan, Bruce Oldfield, Eduardo Paolozzi, Zandra Rhodes, Gerlad Scarfe, David Shilling, Michael Szell, Kenneth Turner, and John Ward.
Guests in attendance included The Princess of Wales's brother, Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Viscount Althrop.
Miss Anne Beckwith-Smith and Major Jack Stenhouse were in attendance. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1985/153)
Photograph of Princess Diana meeting the Three Degrees (RAHE/3/1986/5) |