Lady LUX

As they did last year and the year before, revelers flocked to New York’s Governor’s Island in droves to attend the third annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. It was a sweltering day in Manhattan, but that didn’t stop those who loved the game—and the bubbly behind it—from making the scene. And make it they did. Morning ferries took off from Manhattan for the famous and the onlooker, and chariots awaited—well, golf carts—for those deserving to be escorted to the tents. Veuve Clicquot has carried the storied champagne house from Reims, France into the 21st Century with a stellar product and even more stellar—really genius—marketing. Its signature yellow color is instantly recognizable to everyone, and it is consistently the champagne of choice-and that’s not to say its become pedestrian. Anything but. Its pretty label combined with an always good-read: not over-the-top-price point has kept Veuve the champagne of choice, for many an occasion.

That is was on June 27 when Prince Harry of England and his Team Sentebale—also called Team BlackRock—took on Nacho Figueras and his Team Black Watch (although Prince Harry founded Team Sentabale, the official captain is Nick Roldan). Both are widely known on the polo circuit, playing worldwide, mainly in Palm Beach, the Hamptons, and Europe. Prince Harry founded Team Sentebale, which means “forget me not,” in Lesotho, the very poor country for whom the nonprofit organization was founded four years ago, and for whom they ride, along with Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho Royal Family. Their mission is to transform the lives of Lesotho’s orphans and vulnerable children. Although a very beautiful country, Lesotho is suffering from extreme poverty and has the third highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world, with approximately 400,000 orphans and vulnerable children at present. The Prince could not have chosen a more worthy cause.

The crowd in attendance knows all too well how worthy causes can make for a better society. Mary J. Blige was there along with her beau Kendu Isaacs; multiple Grammy-winning the soul singing sensation recently founded her own Mary J. Blige Center for Women in Yonkers, New York, highlighted in a recent LadyLUX article. Newlywed Ivanka Trump and husband and New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner were on the step and repeat, she looking polished as ever, especially while wearing her Ivanka Trump Jewelry Collection. Russell Simmons, who is one of the most charitable fellows around, running two foundations as well as multiple companies (Def Jam, Phat Farm) posed for the cameras, as did Gayle King, Georgina Bloomberg and her famous dad, Carol Alt, nightclub owner, Amy Sacco, and those too-gorgeous for words masters of polo, Nacho and Nick. Figueras lovely wife, Delphine Blaquier, was on hand too, leading their three gorgeous children (go figure) into the tent, and many officials from Veuve Cliquot, Moet-Hennessey, and Piaget, such as the company’s president, Larry Roland.

Next stop for New York-area polo: Bridgehampton Polo, which starts in a mere two weeks on the fields of Two Trees Farm in lovely Bridgehampton, Long Island.

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