The 50th American Presidential Inaugural Gala

When President Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term, Elizabeth was one of the glittering array of luminaries on hand at the 50th American Presidential Inaugural Gala, held in the ballroom of the District of Columbia Convention Center. Frank Sinatra was the producer and director of entertainment for the gala, which was held on January 18, 1985, and aired on ABC the following day. Other participants included Pearl Bailey, Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Mac Davis, Michael Davis, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Merv Griffin, Charlton Heston, Emmanuel Lewis, Rich Little, Dean Martin, Patricia Neal, the New York City Breakers, Tony Randall, Lou Rawls, Don Rickles, Tom Selleck, James Stewart, Jill St. John, Donna Summer, Mr. T, Frederica Von Stade, and Robert Wagner. And of course the President and First Lady themselves were in attendance.

“Tonite the big Inaugural Gala—produced by Frank Sinatra,” President Reagan recorded in his diary on the day the gala was broadcast. “It was a smash—a cast of 52 plus the Naval Academy chorus.”

Although they may have diverged politically, Elizabeth counted the Reagans as dear friends and, later neighbours in Bel-Air. They were in the Presidential box on opening night of The Little Foxes at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater in Washington, D.C., and it was said that Elizabeth moved the date of her 1991 wedding to Larry Fortensky to accommodate the then former president. (While Nancy was in attendance, the former president was unfortunately “detained by ‘business.’”)