Royalty has always gravitated towards The Ritz. In its early years, the hotel enjoyed the patronage of King Edward VII, who was a loyal client of César Ritz and is reported to have said: ‘Where Ritz goes, I go.’ The Queen Mother dined there regularly, and her favourite song to be played on the piano was reportedly ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’. Her daughter was also a fan: to celebrate VE Day with her sister, Princess Margaret, the young Princess Elizabeth famously danced the conga through the hotel in 1945. Over five decades later, she returned to host a party at The Ritz in 2002 on Charles’ 54th birthday, as a ‘thank you’ to her close family and friends for the success of her Jubilee year. The party was clearly a great success, as the Queen chose to host her own 80th birthday celebrations at the hotel in 2006.
The royals have always been in good company: other famous guests have included Anna Pavlova and Winston Churchill, while the Aga Khan and Paul Getty both had suites. In later decades, the Ritz became the go-to spot for Hollywood stars, too, with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Noel Coward often frequenting the Mayfair landmark, while Jackie Onassis apparently declared the hotel to be ‘like paradise’. It’s an enviable history – and this latest stamp of success bequeathed by King Charles will no doubt ensure that The Ritz, one of London’s most hallowed institutions, remains well-loved by society for generations to come.