Sunday, July 18, 2021

The Prince and the Angel

Shelley at the White House in 1981

Shelley attended a White House dinner in honor of the soon-to-be-married Prince of Wales, Prince Charles of Great Britain, in May of 1981. With a guest list of only 30, the dinner did away with strict protocol and had the prince arrive before the guests - which also included Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Alfred and Betsy Bloomingdale, Diana Vreeland and William F. Buckley among others. Shelley was escorted by her Charlie perfume commercial co-star Bobby Short, who also provided the entertainment for the evening in the yellow Oval Room. As the prince was soon to marry Lady Diana Spencer, there were no young women among the guests except for Shelley. "Very cozy evening," Bobby Short said afterwards, "It was choreographed brilliantly."

Shelley at the White House with Nancy Reagan,
Prince Charles and President Ronald Reagan, May 1981