Down the garden path with the royals
● Who would you invite around when your guests of honour are the dashing prince sixth in line to the British throne and his glamorous American wife?
That was the challenge for the UK’s high commissioner to SA, Nigel Casey, when he was asked to host a garden reception for the visiting Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Tuesday evening.
We were escorted to the venue, the high commissioner’s grand Bishopscourt residence in Cape Town, in a fleet of racinggreen Land Rovers. Through a security check and down the path, an African choir welcomes us as we head out onto the lawns.
I’ve hardly had a chance to sip on my sparkling wine when an exuberant Mamokgethi Phakeng, vicechancellor of the University of Cape Town, waves me over. This has been a challenging time for the university following the rape and murder of student Uyinene Mrwetyana.
Mamokgethi, wearing a bright top over a Stoned Cherry dress, recently announced a scholarship in the slain student’s name.
Our conversation moves on to news that Precious MoloiMotsepe will soon take over from Graça Machel as chancellor of UCT. “She’s the pope of the university,” says Mamokgethi. “The one who will appear to call us to order.”
On to another dynamic Cape Town personality, Artscape Theatre CEO Marlene le Roux. “Today I am the Arabian princess on my throne,” she quips as she sits in front of a phalanx of media waiting for the royal couple.
Then it’s a quick hello to Victoria Aitken, who tells me: “I am here to see Harry.” The prince is her nephew through her former marriage to Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer. The choir’s singing moves up a notch as Nigel, his wife, Claire, and the Sussexes appear.
“Thank you so much for introducing us to Cape Town, especially for my wife who hasn’t been to this part of Africa before,” Harry says. “It is certainly a privilege and a pleasure to bring my family here and make it the first official visit [as a family] to the continent.”
Then the couple move through the crowd, bestowing Commonwealth Points of Light awards on Jade Bothma, 13, and Hunter Mitchell, 11, in recognition of their work to preserve our wildlife and oceans.
Among others they greeted was former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar. Which is better — winning the Rugby World Cup or meeting the duke, I ask.
“I’m a fan of the prince and all his work, not only in conservation. He has a passion for his country, a passion for making the world a better place,” says Francois, whose wife, Nerine, is in an Errol Arendz cocktail dress.
Meghan listens earnestly to Terence Naidu, one of the 2019 recipients of the UK Tech Hub Go Global awards, and chats about social transformation and art activism with PR maven Tziona Kerton and couturiers Gavin Rajah and Vanessa Gounden.
When Meghan is introduced to hunk about town Maps Maponyane, and informed that he has more than a million Twitter followers, she points out that “influence” needs to go beyond tapping on your smartphone. “We need to do more than only tweet something these days,” I am told the royal, known for her passionate campaigning for the empowerment of young women and girls, said.