My night with Monaco’s royals: Tatler’s Social Editor shares her glittering report from inside The Rose Ball

When it comes to the Riviera’s most glittering galas, nothing beats the incomparable glamour of Monaco’s Rose Ball. Each March, It-girls, socialites and film stars charter their helicopters, board their superyachts and descend upon the billionaire’s playground to dance and drink the night away in truly spectacular fashion.

Founded in 1954, the Rose Ball (or, Bal de la Rose) was conceived by Princess Grace of Monaco as a way to raise money for The Princess Grace Foundation, her charity supporting sick children. On the death of the Monégasque royal in 1982, the mantle was taken up by her daughter, Princess Caroline of Hanover, the current President of The Princess Grace Foundation, who has continued the tradition of hosting the important fundraising event.

This year, I was among those who received one of the heavy calligraphed envelopes containing a coveted invitation. Upon opening, we discovered Princess Caroline’s chosen theme for this year’s extravaganza: ‘Bollywood’. Checking into the Hotel Hermitage, a Belle Époque beauty in the heart of Monte Carlo, I bumped into a well-heeled Monaco socialite who declared: ‘This is the opening of the social season’. Suites at the hotel, known for its thermal spa, Michelin-starred restaurants and regal clientele, are booked out by Rose Ball attendees looking to replicate the glamour of the evening in their choice of accommodation. (Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, currently dogged by ‘malicious’ rumours of a separation, stepped out of the hotel’s revolving doors and into their blacked-out car as I arrived).

As the sun set behind the glitzy harbour, Monaco’s most in-demand makeup artists and hairstylists darted between suites along the hotel’s corridors, while other guests sipped on champagne downstairs on the Crystal Bar’s terrace overlooking the twinkling bay. I slip into a Dior ombre-blue sequin gown paired with Felt diamond earrings and necklace – and felt twinkly enough for an evening with the stars.

The Salle des Étoiles of the Sporting Monte-Carlo sparkled more than usual; the sequin-encrusted walls reflected the light of the glittering attendees on the red carpet. Inside, The Rose Ball’s Artistic Director, Christian Louboutin (who follows in the fashionable footsteps of his predecessor, Karl Lagerfeld) had transformed the space into a Jaipur partyscape. A recreation of Jaipur’s pink Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) enveloped us as we made our way to our seats as dancers dressed in bedazzled saris twirled around us to create a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes. Each vibrant table was decorated with exquisite red and orange roses, trails of tuberose and candles which cast a soft glow upon the river of champagne flutes and wine glasses. Louboutin had brought Bollywood to Monaco.

Princess Caroline and her brother, Prince Albert II, led the charge of Grimaldis into the decadent room, where guests rose from their seats to cheer the royal procession. Exuding Bollywood glamour, Charlotte Casiraghi smiled as she stunned in a sequin Chanel Haute Couture gown, while Beatrice Borromeo shone in a black and gold dress and hair piece from Dior’s latest Haute Couture collection as she entered on the arm of her husband, the dapper Pierre Casiraghi.