The ultimate Le Bal insider: Gabriel Gledhill – GB Skiier and Tatler cover star – reveals what its like to be a cavalier at the high society event
Hubert Cecil
Team GB cross-country skier Gabriel Gledhill swapped skis and poles for a white tux inside the hallowed ballroom of Paris’s Shangri-La, flying from Oslo especially for the glamour-filled event. He tells Tatler all about his duties as a cavalier (a key part is holding your debutante’s phone and lip gloss), swapping numbers with Albert Windsor, and spotting Angela Bassett on the dancefloor…
I’m used to the world of punishing mountain treks in -30 degree conditions, so when I was invited to attend Le Bal by chief executive Ophélie Renouard, I immediately said yes and started doing some research. I watched Le Bal Paris, a documentary about the world’s most prestigious debutante ball, first launched at the Chateau de Versailles, to learn more about this high society fixture. After watching it, I was very excited to attend. I expected an extravagant procession of dresses from around the world, a glamorous evening and an amazing experience – and I wasn’t disappointed.
On Friday morning, I flew from Oslo to Paris, arriving at my hotel near the Shangri-La, where the ball was being held. First stop was Jean Jacques Cérémonie, the tailor recommended by the ball organisers, for a fitting for the white tie I was wearing that evening. Then, as I had never been to Paris before, I went for a run, spotting the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe en route.
That evening, there was a casual-attired rehearsal. Everyone was there: the debutantes, the cavaliers, the families. It was here that I met my debutante, Ruby Kemper, for the first time, and her family. (Ruby is the granddaughter of Kirk Kerkorian, the former owner of MGM Studios, one of the most renowned film and television companies in the world.)