Summer's most glamorous garden party

Stars get charitable at Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Gala

David Walliams, Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum - Celebrity News - Marie Claire
David Walliams, Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum - Celebrity News - Marie Claire
(Image credit: Rex Features)

Stars get charitable at Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Gala

The toast of London society were out in force this weekend for the summer's most glamorous garden party, the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Gala.

An eclectic mix of figures from the worlds of politics, music, film and the arts descended on Hampton Court Palace for the Russian-themed event, which saw guest of honour Mikhail Gorbachev mingle with the likes of Sarah Brown, JK Rowling, Boris Johnson and Vanessa Redgrave.

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Giving the evening a dose of high-octane glamour, there was no shortage of fashion world faces, with Natalia Vodanova, Yasmin Le Bon and Erin O'Connor taking their places at the £300-a-head tables, while Sophie Dahl arrived on the arm of fiancé Jamie Cullum.

With the philanthropic evening raising funds for both the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and Marie Curie Cancer, the stars were happy to flex their purse strings, particularly when it came to a lively auction.

Dragons' Den star James Caan splashed £300,000 on a multi-coloured skeleton by Damien Hirst, while JK Rowling outbid her rivals, paying £12,000 for a cheeky lapdance by David Walliams.

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