Inside the 70th Annual Rose Ball, Where Royals Went to Space with Burlesque Dancers, Robots, and Lots of Couture

At least six princesses from four different royal families, two robot-costumed performing artists in stilts, a handful of dancers from Paris’s iconic Crazy Horse burlesque, 78 artists, 250 lamps, 950 meters of mirrored table clothes, and an untold number of couture dresses came together for one very iconic night in the singular micro-country of Monaco this Saturday. It was the 70th annual Rose Ball, which always tends to be one of the world’s more exciting royal events, but this year truly launched it into orbit.

Later this year, a breed of roses named after Princess Grace will go to space as part of science experiment. Consider the royal once known as Grace Kelly is still Monaco’s most iconic royal and the founder of the Rose Ball, the story inspired the event’s creative director Christian Louboutin and Grace’s daughter Princess Caroline to give this year’s celebration a space travel theme. The annual event is the main source of fundraising for the Princess Grace Foundation, which supports pediatric health and cultural initiatives.

For many though, the night started down on earth—a particularly posh part of earth, but earth none the less. Guests used the famed lobby of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo as their launchpad, sipping champagne and eying other’s couture. They then arrived at the Salle des Étoiles to find that Louboutin had redecorated its interiors to resemble something directly out of Star Wars. Video paneling had been installed along the walls of the entrance way, and dancers dressed in silver space cadet uniforms handed out bottles of Louboutin’s Rose Fétiche perfume upon entry.

Once all the guests were seated at their mirrored banquet tables, a voice simulated a countdown to begin the event. The evening’s entertainment was structured around the concept of visiting different color-coded planets. On one, burlesque dancers from the famed Crazy Horse Paris put on a sensual performance, at another stop, members of the Paris-based Kalinka Ballet put on a traditional Russian character dance to a Kraftwerk song, and at another the Berlin-based Dule Compania pranced on stilts.

For those whose idea of an adventure involves more couture finers and less celestial orbit, the Rose Ball still delivered.

Charlene, Princess of Monaco stood alongside husband Prince Albert II in a glittering silver one-shoulder Elie Saab gown.

Japan’s Princess Akiko of Mikasa was the surprise guest of honor at the event. The princess, a cousin of Emperor Naruhito makes few and far between public appearances, but last year she became the first princess by birth to become the head of one of the branches of Japan’s royal family. She was visiting the country to celebrate twenty years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Monaco.

Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Princess Caroline’s youngest daugther, wore a silk chiffon robe over a blue grey silk dress from Prada. She was joined by boyfriend Ben Sylvester Strautmann and Princess Dorothée D’Arenberg, of the German-Belgian House of Arenberg. The latter was wearing Jonathan Anderson’s Dior.

Princess Caroline, meanwhile, wore a silver jacket over a black sequined dress.

Lady Kitty Spencer, niece of the late Princess Diana, wowed in Dolce & Gabbana.

Just weeks after their intimate wedding ceremony, Monaco-born F1 superstar Charles Leclerc and his wife Alexandra Saint Mleux made one of their first public appearances as a married couple.

Prince Charles of Bourbon Two-Sicilies and Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two-Sicilies kept it classic in black and white.

A return back to Earth would be put off until the next morning. Upon the conclusion of dinner, singer Leee John and the band Imagine had guests filling the dance floor before handing it off to DJ Josh Quinton who spun into the late night.