The future Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and the Aga Khan joined European High Society and Nobility at the Baron de Rede’s legendary Bal Oriental at the Hôtel Lambert in Paris on this day in 1969, 55 years ago.

The baron’s blow-out took place on 5 December, 1969. For this highpoint on the Parisian social calendar, the Hôtel Lambert was lavishly decorated in a non-specific Orientalist style. Two enormous papier maché elephants stood in the courtyard as guests made their way to the entrance, where the grand staircase was flanked by black torchbearers (authenticity schmauthenticity, this was a party, not a National Geographic documentary).

Alexandre Serebriakoff’s jewel-like watercolours of the event represent a high-water mark in high-society camp, perfectly capturing the gilded collision of Baroque and Bangkok; The Sun King and I, if you will.

Considering the riot of colour around him, the baron was relatively subdued, appearing as a Mogul prince in a deep blue costume designed by Pierre Cardin. Their association dated back 20 years: Cardin was at Christian Dior when Redé first asked him to run up something sensaysh on his Singer for Étienne de Beaumont’s “Bal des Rois”.

All of this was, of course, fabulous and over-the-top and probably a blast if you were there. But if the event had a weak point, it was the guest list. Redé had an old queen’s weakness for a title, perhaps conscious that his own baronetcy, while legitimate, was the subject of malicious gossip. Compare, for example, Truman Capote’s 1966 Black and White Ball, another candidate for the party of the century. Capote put the very famous together with the very, very famous and had them all wear masks – a dash of wit that the baron sorely lacked.

The day after the Oriental Ball the Rolling Stones would play Altamont, an event commonly acknowledged as the end of the 60s; Redé seemed unaware the decade had ever started. Brigitte Bardot was about as swinging as the guest list got, otherwise the turbans generally sat on the same old titled heads.

Once the guests had left and the eastern trappings had been dismantled, the Baron withdrew from large-format entertaining, claiming that “it creates jealousy”. He lived out his days in the Lambert, at once his home and his greatest accomplishment.

Princess Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark

The Aga Khan IV and Begum Salimah Aga Khan

Princess Maria Pia of Savoy

Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and Salvador Dali

 Countess Jacqueline de Ribes

 Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, the 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby

Strange Flowers

The Jewels of the Queens of Denmark 

Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara