With all eyes on this week’s state banquet at Windsor Castle, a quick look back at Palm Beach’s own royal chapters feels timely.
Palm Beach, of course, has long been on royal itineraries. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were regulars from the postwar years onward—snapped at arts events and endlessly feted by local hostesses—cementing the island’s early royal mystique.
The most glamorous modern moment? November 12, 1985, when Prince Charles played polo in West Palm Beach and Princess Diana presented the trophy before the couple headed to a black-tie benefit at The Breakers—tabloid drama and all.
Continental royalty made appearances, too. King Hussein of Jordan visited Palm Beach during his 1964 U.S. trip (and was photographed vacationing here in the ’70s), while former King Juan Carlos I of Spain turned up in Palm Beach County for a charity evening decades later.
And Monaco keeps a toehold: Prince Albert II flew in for a 2018 gala tied to Monaco Private Label, reminding everyone that the Riviera and Worth Avenue speak the same language.
If the latest Windsor Castle dinner has you in a royal mood, Palm Beach has the receipts—and the guest books—to match.
