One for the Books

Montecito uber-philanthropist Sara Miller McCune has received a rare accolade.

Sara, founder of Sage Publications in 1965 at the age of just 24, has been awarded the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018.

The peripatetic charity supporter, whose company employs more than 1,500 people in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington, and Melbourne, Australia, is flying to England to receive the trophy at the International Excellence Awards on Tuesday, April 10.

Sara will also use the trip to speak at the fair’s Research and Scholarly Publishing Forum the following day.

“I am grateful to the organizers for recognizing the critical work that an independent academic publisher can achieve when its commitment to a noble mission is unwavering,” she tells me.

“I am a passionate supporter of what I call the four justices – economic, educational, environmental, and social – on an international scale. I view the work at Sage Publishing as pivotal to their advancement as we build bridges from ideas to usable knowledge.”

Sara’s company publishes more than 1,000 journals and 800 books annually.

Prince Summons Nacho & Delfina

Santa Barbara Polo Club player Nacho Figueras and his former model wife, Delfina, have landed one of the most coveted invitations in the world.

The tony twosome have received an invite to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, on May 19, one of just 600 sent out by Buckingham Palace on behalf of Harry’s father, the Prince of Wales.

The die-stamped invitation with gilded beveled edges features the three-feather heraldic emblem of Prince Charles and, as well as the service at the 14th-century chapel built by King Edward III in a lower ward of the castle, it invites guests to a reception in the majestic St. George’s Hall, site of many a state banquet, hosted by Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, who marks her 92nd birthday on April 21 and will be buried in the chapel in due course with her parents, King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

There will also be an “intimate” dinner for 200 in the evening at nearby Frogmore House, former home of the Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria, who is buried with her husband, Prince Albert, in a magnificent mausoleum nearby.

The inclusion of Buenos Aires-born Nacho, 41, at the nuptials is not too surprising, as he has played polo with Harry many times as a member of fashion designer Ralph Lauren‘s Black Watch team on the East Coast.

Male guests are requested to wear uniform, tails, or a lounge suit.

Given dashing Nacho is the face of Ralph Lauren advertising around the world, I have no doubt he’ll be the picture of sartorial elegance at the noontime ceremony, on which I am doing commentary for KEYT, the ABC affiliate, from its aerie on TV Hill.

Given the eight-hour time difference between California and London, I will be up at the crack of dawn for the worldwide event.