Ditched and desolate after a break up, I was consoled by a wise friend with the old truism that there’s plenty more fish in the sea. ‘Kiss a few frogs,’ she added, ‘and you might just find a prince.’
And so last week I set off to one of London’s premier regal haunts with the intention of bagging a royal.
The UK is endowed with three eligible princes (let us not forget Prince Andrew) and luckily for a girl like me, two of them seem happy to abandon any airs and graces for a night on the town, downing shots and stumbling out of clubs.
Not any old dive will do, however — Prince William and Prince Harry are picky about their nocturnal activities. My options were Embassy Club (Mayfair), Whisky Mist (Park Lane), Mahiki (Green Park) and Boujis (South Kensington) — all swanky venues, famed (or notorious?) for attracting a jet-set crowd.
Boujis in South Kensington seems to be a particular favourite. And the night to go is a Tuesday — while most of us are taking it easy, the Boujis set are getting on it for some mid-week mayhem.
If you are rich and/or beautiful enough to make it past the heavies (or you know the PR, like I did) you might be surprised at how tiny and nondescript the space is. But the staff are professional and polite, and the bar serves a delicious house special — a watermelon martini (£15 a pop).
The club was near empty when we turned up at 11.00pm, but after midnight the crowd began to gather. A mixed bag, perhaps — finance types with big wallets and bald heads, flashy tourists who couldn’t believe they’d made it past the bouncers, dolled up girls, and, of course, your token Sloane (dahling, this is Kensington and Chelsea) — but the atmosphere was pumped and the dance floor heaving. The Boujis set aren’t looking for the next big thing — all they’re after is some old-fashioned fun in a tried and trusted environment (I’ll bet every night is a Tuesday night here).
After a couple of hours there was still no sign of Wills or Harry but I did meet a guy from Saudi Arabia who was looking to ‘make relationship’ — a proper prince charming.
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