A Feast For A King

The grand banquet hall at 'Hearst Castle' in California has seen many wonderful and lavish 

events and dinners in it's existence, though none quite like the sumptuous dinner 

given there by it's owner William R. Hearst on November 28 1945. The lavish dinner was 

so grand and marvelous that extra staff had to be called in to help. The guests that night included Hearst's wife, Millicent, who was rarely seen around her husband, Marion Davies, who

was Hearst's very public mistress, Huguette Clark, the recluse heiress, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mrs August Belmont Jr. That night, guests consumed more than 70 bottles of wine and ate over 5 courses.

Hearst (center) surrounded by his guests, which mostly consisted of actors and businessmen

The kitchen staff was in a frenzy that night, rushing about the kitchens in an attempt to prepare 

the meals. It was reported that right after the last course that Millicent stormed out of the grand

mansion, slamming open the front doors in such fury that the guests even heard it, summoned her limousine, drove to the Hearst private jet hangar, and flew in a fuming fury to New York. The cause of this: She had seen her husband whisper something to Marion.