Elite come to Chelsea for gala in the garden

Tonight sees the spectacular start to the City season as 5,000 guests attend the Chelsea Flower Show gala dinner.

Royalty, industry leaders, politicians and media figures will gather for the event, sponsored by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets in aid of charity.

Expected guests include the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Also invited are David and Serena Linley, Sir Rocco Forte, Topshop boss Sir Philip Green and Lady Annabel Goldsmith.

The gala, which was founded eight years ago by Royal Horticultural Society director Stephen Bennett, became an overnight success, helping Chelsea to rival Ascot and Wimbledon on the social calendar, especially for the City's elite. The event now attracts more FTSE 100 chairmen than any other during the year.

One City source, who attends every year, said: "It's regarded as social death to be invited on another night. It's the absolute highlight of the calendar, the start of the City season. It's all about networking and payback time for clients.

"People do look at the flowers but you will mainly see business cards being exchanged. You will not find so many of the City's top names in one place at any other time of year.

"There will be hundreds of millions of pounds worth of bonuses all in one spot on one evening."

Previous parties have seen Cherie Blair mingling with Lord Heseltine and William Hague and former Bank of England governor Eddie George sharing a marquee with chief executives from Britain's biggest companies.

Others expected to make an appearance tonight include the Earl of Derby, Stephen and Kimberly Quinn, Andrew Parker Bowles, Sir Terence Conran, the Bamford family, Trinny Woodall and pop star-turned-gardener Kim Wilde.

The menu will include muscat and vanilla-roasted peaches, wafers of Serrano ham and Ragstone goat's cheese, followed by roast peppered fillet of beef, oxtail and red onion pudding, Dauphinoise potato and spinach. For pudding, Black Forest Martini, panacotta with a carpaccio of baby pineapple and a raspberry brulee tart will be served. Laurent Perrier is providing the champagne.