PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO'S BIRTHDAY BASH AT GRAND MILLENNIUM

kee@fswmag.com

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO CELEBRATED HER BIRTHDAY ON 20 MAY 2011 AT THE GRAND MILLENNIUM BALLROOM


It was the TIARA BALL OF THE YEAR!

Kee Hua Chee and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo on the glittering, golden hued stage.

His Excellency Mr Paul Jones, Ambassador of United States of America and Mr Michael Mantz, top criminal lawyer from The Hague, Holland

Nilou de Luca Gabrielli with spectacular pearl tiara from Elegance Club and His Excellency Mr Folco de Luca Gabrielli the Italian Ambassador

HE Madame Lyndmila Vorobyera and her husband Mr Theodor Ozakenov

His Excellency Mr Victoriano Lecaros Ambassador of Philippines, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Madame Melissa Lecaros

Elizabeth Lemay and Colonel Jacques Lemay the Defence Adviser from British High Commission




Since the last few years it has become the tradition for this generous, kind-hearted and beautiful Filipina princess to celebrate her birthday with a tiara themed ball and this year followed the same tradition.

Florence Cho, Tracy Ong of Elegance Club, The Birthday Girl, Datin Maylene and Kee Hua Chee

I wore my tiara on my waist and had an entire chandelier on my shirt!

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, heavier still is the body that had to carry this 3 kg chandelier shirt!

I did a workout each time I lifted my arms!

Ladies glittering in tiaras

Jeremy and Isabelita Figgins, Puan Sri Sylvia and Tan Sri Othman Marican

Even small, dainty tiaras make a big difference

Jenny and Kenny Loh of Lord's Tailor, Malaysia's finest made to measure tailor at Bangsar Shopping Centre and AmpWalk KL

Mrs Catherine Jones, wife of the American Ambassador Mr Paul Jones and Rozita Shuib

Tracy Ong, owner of Elegance Club Jewellers at Bangsar Shopping Centre and Vivian.

Danny Siew and Ace Tang

The KLM contingent headed by Estee Ng (centre)

Suguna Madhavan and Jeroen Rieners

Princess Dr Becky Leogardo with her Filipina friends

Tracy Ong of Elegance Club showing off her mini tiara pinned to the side.

Datin Maylene and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Tiara-ed titans

Two well matched couples

Gorgeous even from the back!

Zeny Ladores, Virgie Lim and Raquel Ladores


Society ladies seldom get a chance to wear tiaras since the days of European-style coronation balls are long gone hence many Malaysian ladies look forward to receiving her invite that stipulated 'Tiaras to be Worn'.

Finally, a golden opportunity to dust the dust off your tiara and wear it!

Alas, very often even the richest and most sociable of titled ladies do not own tiaras since one hardly gets a chance to wear one these days. Even if you are rolling in cash, you may be peeved if requested to go commission a tiara just to attend an event. In these egalitarian days, one safely assumes even if one turns up without a tiara, one would not be thrown down the stairs and kicked into Jalan Bukit Bintang for breach of protocol.

As usual, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo set the rule and applied it by supplying the tiaras! Any guest who did not own nor wish to buy a tiara from her favourite jeweller Tracy Ong of Elegance Club would be given one!

Alas, the tiaras given by Princess Dr Becky were not of platinum set with diamonds and precious stones. She bought them from Manila on her last trip and were faux tiaras composed of gilt and crystals. Mind you, they were not cheap as I believe each cost under RM 100.


Around 80 fortunate guests turned up dressed in ballgowns as befitted the tiaras. Said many, "It is so much fun to wear tiaras even if they are costume versions. Ladies always feel like a princess or queen when wearing one."

Tiaras are not to be confused with crowns worn by European kings and queens which can weigh a few kilos which is great if you are seated all the time on elevated thrones. Tiaras are light, elegant and feminine, rendering the wearer a fairytale quality.

Since you cannot really don a tiara amid a mop of wild curls, a sleek, combed chignon or bun is required which instantly makes any woman look regal and elegant!

Many invitees made the effort to get their tiaras in advance from Princess Dr Becky Leogardo. A few did their hair and then came early to Grand Millennium Ballroom to install their tiaras.

Princess Dr Becky Leogardo looked ravishing and princessy in a stunning black and white gown made for the occasion by Malaysia's top designer Michael Ong who arrived with a cape, making him look like a cross between Batman and one of the Three Musketeers.

Michael Mantz, top criminal lawyer from The Hague, flew in just a day earlier from Schipol, Amsterdam to celebrate his wife's birthday. Despite the long flight and jetlag, he was his usual jolly, fun self.

Four sexy, scantily clad ladies wearing enough sequins, feathers and beads to rival me were also waving, smiling and posing with guests. Since they looked sexier, had better bodies and bigger boobs and were more curvaceous than most women I know, they had to be dancers from Ika Fancy, Malaysia's ultimate paperdoll revue! The cleavages of these ladies made the female guests sigh and their husbands could hardly keep their eyes off such delightful distractions.

These ladies were so busty and beautiful with such big boobs they simply had to be men don't you think?

Here we go again


Of course also on hand to welcome guests though they were unaware of their duties were the Birthday Girl's children, Daniel Mantz, nearly 4 and the new twins Gloria and Raphael Mantz, now nearly 1. They are my god children, all three of them! Can you believe NO ONE has ever asked me to be godfather to their kids? How bizarre considering I have millions of friends and admirers! Alas, a few (who have no children of course) told me to consider the possibility I was never asked to be godfather as I am not listed as a millionaire who can be counted upon to dish out expensive presents or fat angpows to their kids on birthdays and at Christmas! Sad but true, this is the way of the world and dear Princess Dr Becky Leogardo is the only one who chose me based on true friendship with no expectation! When I was in university, my lecturer told me in life you can count the number of real friends with one hand. Of course I laughed at him and said no way, I was bound to have hundreds if not thousands of adoring friends. So now I retreat in defeat!

The darling twins, Gloria and Raphael Mantz! My godtwins!

Gloria Mantz, Berta and Daniel Mantz

Daniel adjusting his brother's head for my camera!

Raphael's hair seems practically blonde! Well, he is half mat salleh!

Raphael Mantz tried to escape..

But it was Gloria who succeeded! Note her cute mini tiara!


After cocktails in the foyer, guests glided into the Ballroom and admired the arrangement of the table setting which was in the form of an X instead of the usual separate round tables. It was such a clever, pleasing idea that for sure it will set a new trend and from now on, small parties will flaunt such seatings.


While everyone was considered a VIP, there were 4 ambassadors; HE Mr Paul Jones the Ambassador of United States of America and his wife Mrs Catherine Jones, HE Mrs Lyndmila Vorobyera the Ambassador of Russia and her husband Mr Theodor Ozakenov, HE Mr Folco de Luca Gabrielli the Ambassador of Italy and his wife Nilou de Luca Gabrielli and of course HE Mr Victoriano Lecraos the Ambassador of Philippines and his wife Mrs Melissa Lecaros. Also present were Colonel Jacques Lemay, Defence Adviser from British High Commission and his wife Elizabeth.

By the way, I was the Master of Ceremony as usual. I welcomed one and all on behalf of Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and invited Michael Mantz to make his usual speech. Then came the cake cutting ceremony with two cakes as one came from Rosemarie Wee, PR regional director for Asia Pacific for ShangriLa hotel.

Cutting her birthday cake as her children and husband looked on

This cake was from Mrs Rosemarie Wee, regional PR director of ShangriLa

The second cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO!


Ika Fancy Dancers did a short opening act and dinner was served.

Of course as per tradition, all parties hosted by Princess Dr Becky Leogardo come with lucky draws. This was her birthday but she was also giving away presents! The guests who came to pick the lucky numbers were the Russian ambassador, Catherine Jones, Puan Sri Sylvia Marican, Isabelita Figgins and Nilou de Luca. For the first time, I did not win anything! But each guest received a goody bag containing inonic toothbrushes and Alexa 24k Gold Body Shampoo so it was a win win situation.

Gloria came to wish her mother Happy Birthday


The highlight was the Tiara Parade when 8 ladies wearing precious and exquisite tiaras went on stage to model. The tiaras were from Tracy Ong, owner of Elegance Club at Bangsar Shopping Centre who specialises in tiaras. Many of Malaysia's crowned heads and princesses have commissioned tiaras from her and the reason is obvious! Kate Middleton aka Duchess of Cambridge will do well to consider ordering a made to measure tiara from Tracy Ong who wore a discreet, small tiara at the back of her bun as she is not the showy type, preferring her clients to bask in the limelight.

The Exciting Eight who modelled their tiaras were Datin Maylene Yong, Puan Sri Sylvia Marican, Isabelita Figgins, Nilou de Luca, Lim Meng Hong, Florence Cho, Aileen Chan and Nadia Abdullah.

The 8 tiara-ed beauties with Princess Dr Becky Leogardo in middle

Doing the royal wave!


Lim Meng Hong

Datin Maylene Yong

Florence Cho

Nadia Abdullah

Datin Su Day, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Datuk Steve Day

Michael Mantz is sandwiched between two lovelies.

Rozita Shuib and friend

Shamsuria Abdullah and friend



Then it was the turn of the gentlemen to give awards to the Best Dressed Ladies. The men who trotted on stage included the Philippines and Italian ambassadors, Tan Sri Othman Marican, Datuk Steve Day, Kenny Loh, Dato' Peter Yong, Jeremy Figgins and Jeroen Rieners. The 10 Best Dressed Ladies were the Exciting Eight plus Rozita Shuib and Helen.

The 10 Best Dressed!

Aileen Chan with her Best Dressed award

Nilou de Luca

Puan Sri Sylvia Marican

Rozita Shuib

Helen

3 Beauties; Nadia, Datin Maylene and Rozita

Datin Maylene Yong

Rozita looking voluptuous

Nadia looking triumphant


And so ended another memorable birthday party as guests slowly drifted home around midnight. Most took the opportunity to go on stage to pose amid the dreamy. frothy curtains and buntings so glamorous it could have been a wedding dias.

THE END