Fergie Plays the Crowd

His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, is indeed turning out to be the man who accompanied Fergie to Los Angeles. And she is showing herself such a terrific politician that it’s almost too bad she’s already got a job.

Sunday night, she displayed every skill necessary to make a successful run for public office--even managing to deal with an overzealous supporter (an elected official, at that).

Just at the point when her husband introduced her to the gathered hundreds at the UK/LA Gala, state Sen. Art Torres, seated about halfway back in the Biltmore Bowl, began to shout, “Bravo, Fergie, bravo Fergie.”

Ignoring the shouts, she took the microphone, and said: “At last I have the turn to talk. All these men. . . ,” at which point Torres shouted out, “We love you, Fergie.”

Without batting a red eyelash, she replied, “I’ll see you later.”

Applause, applause, applause.

Before the dinner, those who had purchased $10,000 tables got to go to a reception in the Gold Room, while the hoi polloi were sent to the Crystal Room. The duke and duchess made a quick walk through the Crystal Room, but got introduced to individuals in the Gold Room.

In the Gold Room, the co-chairs, Occidental’s Dr. Armand Hammer and Arco Chairman and CEO Lod Cook, and their wives led the two through the crowd. Also on hand: security from the State Department.

A quick query to the duchess, lavish in an apricot and black Yves St. Laurent, elicited the reply that “I don’t really like salmon very much at all.” Too bad, because the flow of salmon continues at luncheons and dinners this week.

Those eating at the gala were reported to be thrilled at the salmon appetizer because when the three-meat main course was served, well after 9 p.m., it was difficult to tell one meat (veal, lamb or beef) from the other, either by sight or by taste. “My god,” one starving guest said, “They’ve managed to duplicate English cuisine.”

The slow meal service added to the general lateness with the schedule. One experienced local involved with the visit and a veteran of such doings said the State Department security, unlike that of the Secret Service, “makes things as difficult as possible.”

Also strange was the seating at the dinner. Major downtown and retailing powers, such as Carter Hawley Hale’s Phillip and Mary Hawley and Bullocks Wilshire’s Terry and Nancy Lundgren, were seated in the rear of the room, while various politicians, all the guests of Occidental Petroleum--which bought a great number of tables--were seated at much better tables. (Hammer also announced that he was picking up the tab for the whole dinner.)

“Celebrities” like Joan Collins, with an even tanner-than-usual George Hamilton, were in the front row, while Zsa Zsa Gabor was along the line of entrance. Zsa Zsa and her husband, Prince Fredrick von Anhalt, left during the dinner service.

They missed the general applause all around, when Cook announced that the $10-million goal of Save the Books had been reached with the $200,000 netted for the library effort by the gala. He singled out former Ambassador Walter and Leonore Annenberg and MCA’s Lew and Edie Wasserman for their generous help. (The other $200,000 profit from the gala went to help underwrite the UK/LA festival.)

Elizabeth Whitney, the acting state treasurer, kidded to AFL-CIO county chairman Bill Robertson and Dresden Graham that, “We’re heading over to Molly Malone’s,” the Fairfax Avenue Irish bar.

Other ethnic notes: Councilman Richard Allatore, with his stunning wife, Sherrill, managed to order, in Spanish, some salsa to try and spice up the meal. What arrived was five hot green chile peppers on a plate, which he said were delicious.

Again, those seated with the young couple were all significant--and significantly older than the Royals.

Too bad Los Angeles couldn’t have served up some of our best food--Mexican, California nouvelle, Thai, whatever--and also some of our younger and more hip constituents.

After all, diversity is what this city is supposedly all about.