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The Nexus of Politics , Hollywood , Media and Diplomacy | Axios Anniversary, Meridian’s Chinese New Year Celebration , Embassy Row, and more!

Casey Affleck and Jake Tapper at the third annual VETTY Awards. (Photo by Tony Powell)

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POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY�ROW

Letter From London

‘Churchillian Rhetoric, but no Churchill’ — The debate over leaving the European Union embroils Britain in a war of words and the certainty of a daunting future.

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

What’s going on in Britain now bears a strong resemblance to the Mad Hatter’s tea party from “Alice in Wonderland.” For example: in February, anti-Brexit female academic Victoria Bateman, from Cambridge University, appeared stark naked on “Good Morning Britain,” a London television talk show and challenged leading Brexiteers to a nude debate (they did not respond).

The capital took her appearance in its stride. Nothing about the ongoing Brexit confrontation that dominates the daily airwaves can surprise the British public anymore. The one remaining certainty—or near certainty—is that March 29, ordinarily just another Friday in the month but now the deadline for the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, will plunge the country into the unknown.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s frantic last minute attempts at a compromise deal with

“The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” by Sir John Tenniel

Brussels failed to impress Lord Kerr, who as Sir John Kerr, was Britain’s envoy to the U.S. from 1995 to 1997. He predicted that “The only certainty would be continuing uncertainty.” German Ambassador Peter Wittig, lately chief of mission in Washington, has a more positive approach. “It is essential that the U.K. and Germany work together to defend our common values and meet the challenges of the future,” he says, reflecting an open letter to the British from German politicians and business leaders, urging them to remain in the E.U.

What is so astonishing about Brexit is that a thick fog of ignorance envelopes Britain’s future. Neither Brexit’s supporters nor its opponents have much idea what will happen after the break with Europe, and predictions range from a decade of admittedly difficult transition (Brexiteers), to an economic Armageddon (everyone else).

Meanwhile, foreign diplomats in London

say the situation changes so fast that telegrams to their respective ministries have been superseded by events even before they arrive. (One of the peculiarities of the diplomatic profession is that while emails are in wide use by embassies, their reports are still called telegrams).

Diplomats from E.U. countries who have been crowding the gallery of the House of Commons lately, say they are shocked at the level of political turmoil in the proceedings. The Guardian quoted one diplomat who, after listening to the debate, remarked, “There is a lot of Churchillian rhetoric, but no Churchill.”

European embassies are using their websites and consular hotlines to advise the three million E.U. citizens living and working in Britain—including one million from Poland—on the qualifications needed to remain in the U.K. legally after Brexit, with some websites showing an E.U. cartoon video spelling out what to do.

The Irish Embassy website assures Irish citizens that an agreement pre-dating British membership of the European Union means they “can still be able to live, work, and study in the U.K. on the same basis as U.K. citizens and vice-versa.” The French embassy announces on-line that France will assume sole responsibility for the safety and security of the Eurotunnel rail service between the two countries from the existing Anglo- French organization, which Brexit will cause to be dissolved.

In addition to Ms. Bateman revealing all, the debate has left other debris not easily forgotten. There was the time, for example, when a Belgian diplomat asked then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson, an arch Brexiteer, a question about corporate concerns over a hard Brexit at an event for E.U. diplomats in London. Johnson’s reply: “F*** business.”

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WASHINGTON LIFE | MARCH | washingtonlife.com

Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz and Jim VandeHei

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Autumn VandeHei

WL EXCLUSIVE

AXIOS SECOND ANNIVERSARY

The Showroom | PHOTOS�BY�TONY�POWELL

DEEP�SPACE�ADVENTURE: The news and information website Axios celebrated its second birthday with “To the Future” an exclusive “out of this world” party that allowed would-be astronauts to fully immerse themselves at Cape Canaveral in a simulation room with rumbling seats and controls before moving on to explore the Moon and Mars via videos collected from spacecraft—with a space suit and simulator of the CST- 100 Starliner provided by Boeing. Axios founders Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz hosted guests who included Steve Case, British Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch and Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan.

British Amb. Sir Kim Darroch and

Australian Amb. Joe Hockey

Jordanian Amb. Dina Kawar, Steve Clemons and U.A.E. Amb. Yousef al-Otaiba

Tony Blinken, Mark Ein and Mike FeldmanSteve Elmendorf

Steve Case and Evan Ryan

David Urban, Margaret Carlson and Jason Miller

Rep. Mark Meadows, Debbie Meadows and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao

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POLLYWOOD

| HOLLYWOOD�ON�THE�POTOMAC

DOCUMENTARIES�OF�NOTE

National Geographic’s ‘Paris to Pittsburgh’ tackles climate change; HBO’s ‘Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists’ celebrates journalism.

Jonathan Capehart, Christopher Castro, Kate Orlinsky, Daniel Lutat and Michael Bonfi glio

Gary Knell and Michael Bloomberg

BY JANET DONOVAN

PARIS TO PITTSBURGH

AVAILABLE�FOR�FREE�AT�NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC�COM/TV/� PHOTOS�COURTESY�OF�BLOOMBERG

Before a special screening of “Paris to Pittsburgh” at the

National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to an attentive audience about the pressing issue of climate change, which is brought to life in the documentary produced by Radicalmedia in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. “We are just sorry that the one person in Washington who most needs to see this film isn’t here,” Bloomberg told the crowd, adding that “unfortunately, that person will probably never see it because it won’t be running on FOX.” The media mogul expressed gratitude to the one chamber of Congress that is ready to address the urgent issue. He also referenced the response from communities depicted in the film that are facing the most severe threats from global warming. “Outside of Washington, the American people don’t view climate change as a left, right, Democratic or Republican issue,” he explained. “They recognize that fighting climate change is good for their health, good for their economies and good for their communities.”

A panel following the screening featured The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart as moderator; the film’s co-director, Michael Bonfiglio; Daniel Lutat of Iowa Lakes Community College; National Geographic photographer Katie Orlinsky; and Christopher Castro, director of sustainability of Orlando, Fla.

BRESLIN AND HAMILL: DEADLINE ARTISTS

AVAILABLE�STREAMING�ON�HBO�|�PHOTOS�BY�JOY�ASICO

HBO’s “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists” provides a glimpse of the dynamic and often controversial personas of New York City journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill, who wrote for many publications on a variety of headline-grabbing stories. The film takes a deep dive into what is known as the last great era of print journalism. The rival writers eventually built an unlikely friendship out of a shared passion for dogged reporting—collectively, covering everything from the Son of Sam killings to to the Kennedy assassinations to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The inimitable duo were praised for their ability to communicate to the common man.

When asked if there are any journalists today who are as well-regarded as

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Charles Rivkin and Margaret Brennan

Steve McCarthy and Sally Quinn

Jay Newton Small and Daniel Lippman

Gloria Dittus and Timothy Lowery

Breslin and Hamill once were, Jonathan Alter, one of the film’s co-directors, replied: “I teach students and I ask them, ‘Is there anybody you read every week? Can you name anybody you read?’ And they can’t.” The panel agreed that technology has redefined the media landscape and shortened readers’ attention spans. “There’s a disruption going on right now with newspapers,” Alter explained. “But I’m confident, I’m optimistic that we will figure it out. We see The Washington Post and The New York Times doing great reporting, but it’s the local [news] that has to come back.”

Motion Picture Association of America Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin hosted a reception and screening of the documentary at the Carnegie Institution for Science followed by a panel discussion with Margaret Brennan of CBS’ “Face the Nation” acting as moderator of the panel who included Alter, and co-directors John Block and Steve McCarthy.

WASHINGTON LIFE | MARCH����� | washingtonlife.com

Dahlia Constantine and Lt. Col. Justin Constantine

Sam Kriegler, Ken Falke and Casey Affleck

VETTYS

Gen. George W. Casey and Sheila Casey

Shohreh Aghdashloo and Ian Bohen

Ryan Manion

The Watergate Hotel | PHOTOS�BY�TONY�POWELL

SALUTING�VETERANS: The third annual event recognized leaders involved with the veteran community who have made great strides in entrepreneurship, academia, leadership and community service. The Academy of United States Veterans partnered with Disabled American Veterans, The Independence Fund, the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Melwood Veteran Services to celebrate public servants, leaders and innovators dedicated to veteran service. The evening also included a special tribute to the late Senator John McCain and President George H.W. Bush. CNN’s Jake Tapper returned to host and Hollywood stars including Academy Award winner Casey Affleck, Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo and “Teen Wolf”’s Ian Bohen served as presenters at the award ceremony.

Allison Starling, Kellyanne Conway and Lola Reinsch

Traci Hoffman and Dr. Daphne Keshishian

WL SPONSORED

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART

Marriott Marquis | PHOTOS�BY�TONY�POWELL

Angie and Carrie Marriott

Irina Bartell

SEA�OF�RED: About 800 givers of the Women’s Board of the American Heart Association of the Greater Washington Region, including Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, stepped out clad in red to raise critical funds to support cuttingedge research grants that focus on preventing, detecting and treating heart disease and its debilitating conditions. “We are proud to continue the tradition of dedicating 100 percent of the donations towards that goal,” said Dr. Daphne Keshishian, who co-chaired the pre-Valentine’s Day luncheon and fashion show with Traci Hoffman. Lead sponsors of the 71st annual event included the Marriott Family, led by Donna Marriott, Carrie Marriott and Angie Marriott, as well as the J.W. Marriott, Jr. Foundation, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, PepsiCo and the MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute.

Eun Yang and Doreen Gentzler

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POLLYWOOD

Prince Ermias Selassie, Princess Saba Selassie and Paul du Quenoy

RUSSIAN BALL

Ekaterina Ananyeva, Mariya Kruseck, and Baroness Alexandra Sényi de Nagy

Private Club | PHOTOS�BY�BRUCE�ALLEN

Elida Dakoli

ZA�ZDOROVYE��“TO�HEALTH”�: Every January, supporters of Russian culture commune in a private social club’s gilded ballroom to twirl in their white- or black-tie best to music from the Washington Balalaika Society and the Richard Bray Orchestra. As snow lightly fell outside, ball chairs Paul and Irina du Quenoy welcomed guests for dinner, dancing and celebratory swigs of Finlandia Vodka, bottles of which were generously donated as prizes. Albanian pianist Elida Dakoli dazzled the crowd with selections from Rachmaninoff and other Russian favorites.

Prince and Princess Nicholas Obolensky

Peter Jones and Niki Pietruszko

Michele Sigler and James Schultz with Caren and Barry Glassman

Laura Evans, Jill Biden, Eun Yang and Andrea Roane

NEWSBASH

Ellen Bryan and Miri Marshall

Pearl Street Warehouse | PHOTOS�BY�BEN�DROZ

Angie Goff

Jacqueline Policastro and Erin Como

Jay Varma and Monika Samtami

BASHING�CANCER: Pink-clad partygoers gathered to raise funds for the non-profit Breast Care for Washington at this event organized by some of city’s most well-known female news anchors and reporters. The money will help provide access to breast cancer screenings, diagnostics and treatment for women in under-served areas regardless of their ability to pay. “We come because we believe we have an obligation to support our sisters, who shouldn’t have to choose between lifesaving care and sacrificing their family’s security,” said special guest Dr. Jill Biden. NewsBash has raised more than $200,000 since launching in 2009.

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WASHINGTON LIFE | MARCH����� | washingtonlife.com

Jan Du Plain and Megan Beyer

Jay Newton Small, Heather Florance and Conrad Cafritz

Jean Elizabeth Manes, Ann Stock and Tom Shannon

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON

Sen. Mark Meadows and Debbie Meadows

Afghan Amb. Roya Rahmani

Meridian International Center | PHOTOS�BY�TONY�POWELL

NEW�IN�TOWN: With light snow on the ground outside, Meridian International Center made sure to make a toasty warm welcome to new ambassadors to the Washington area, including those hailing from Afghanistan, Armenia, Chad, Chile, Costa Rica, Lesotho, Sudan, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Slovakia and South Sudan. The wintry evening provided an opportunity for the new ambassadors to casually engage with influencers and decisionmakers from the government, business and policy communities. Stuart W. Holliday, Meridian’s president and CEO, emphasized the importance of strengthening international relations through these new posts, and building peer relationships to exchange information on global issues. Meridian creates events like the Welcome to Washington reception to accelerate collaboration between the international diplomatic corps and U.S. public and private sector leaders.

WL SPONSORED

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Embassy of China

PHOTOS�BY�TONY�POWELL

Rakela and Javier Ruperez with Deborah Sigmund

Karina Gutierrez and Edi Gutierrez

Rep. Kilili Sablan and Jim Blanchard

Carlos Gutierrez, Chinese Amb. Cui Tiankai, Stuart Holliday, Li Kexin and Lee Satterfield

Yu Yu Yue Yue and and Rhoda Rhoda Septilici Septilici

BRIDGING�DIVIDES: Nearly 500 guests from Washington’s diplomatic, policy, business and cultural communities joined the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and Meridian International Center in celebrating the Year of the Pig and the 40th anniversary of U.S.-China bilateral relations. Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai set the tone for the evening by detailing the importance of mutual understanding between the two nations, noting that they are “more connected today than ever before.” Meridian President and CEO Stuart Holliday echoed the sentiments, emphasizing the importance of cultural events, like Chinese New Year, to help bridge divides. Guests enjoyed performances and visual art from the Guandong Province, including fan dancing, acrobats, painting and instrumental music.

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POLLYWOOD | THE�DUCHESS�OF�SUSSEX

Meghan’s Difficult TransitionThe former actress-turned royal duchess focuses on the biggest role of her life.

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

The Duchess steps out in Belfast.

LONDON: Around mid-April, mixed in with the impact of Brexit, the former Meghan Markle, is expected to give birth to her first child. Kensington Palace announced that she was expecting in a tweet on October 15, just before her departure with husband Prince Harry on a tour of Australia and New Zealand; and at the time it was revealed that she was already three months pregnant. Hence the mid- to late-April birthdate.

Royal sources expect the arrival of a child to impact the American actress’ position within the closed, rarified, and still somewhat rigid institution of the British monarchy—and hopefully ease what has been Meghan’s bumpy transition from television celebrity to minor royal.

The birth changes her situation from wife of a royal prince to mother of the seventh in line to the British throne, consolidating her place in the House of Windsor. Her child will follow in the line of succession after Princes Charles, William and George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and the baby’s own father, Prince Harry.

Once the engagement and glittering wedding had worked their fairy tale magic, it became clear that Meghan had come on the scene with some awkward baggage. Her dysfunctional family’s refusal to be left out of the picture, particularly her father, Thomas Markle, is one problem. The other is her own, not always successful effort to traverse the mine-filled path to her new life.

Queen Elizabeth made a point of showing that she accepts the new arrival in the family’s midst: for example, having Meghan with her on a number of visits (engagements, in royal parlance), and passing on to her the royal patronage of two organizations she has held for decades: the National Theater and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Meghan even passed the family litmus

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PHOTOS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

test of being liked by the crusty and outspoken Prince Philip.

Within the family, her biggest challenge was establishing a correct relationship with her sister-in-law, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who is congenitally incapable of putting a foot wrong. Media attempts, with Meghan’s cooperation, to establish the two wives as equals – as chums – was an early error. Possibly, Meghan misread the friendly signals, but according to a couple of insiders, that was an early lesson on positioning – knowing one’s place within the family structure.

The message was quickly delivered that, apart from being close to perfect, Kate is also the future queen: Meghan isn’t. The insiders quoted the case of the German-born Princess Michael of Kent, married to the Queen’s first cousin, who for years has been known in the highest levels of the family as “Princess Pushy” as a result of an early tendency to be too assertive.

There was a lot of talk about how Meghan’s arrival freshened a stodgy institution. Well, up to a point. The public activities of royal family members are still listed in the London Times under the title Court Circular, as they have been for more than two centuries. The entries for some of Meghan’s recent engagements since her marriage to Harry show how the American newcomer is being integrated into the not always glamorous family routine. One announcement, quoted in full, states, “The Duchess of Sussex this morning opened the Hubb Community Kitchen, 244 Acklam Road, London W10.” Another reports that “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex this afternoon attended a Mental Health Innovation volunteers’ workshop at BBC Studioworks, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London W12.”

The duchess, who has long been involved in social work, is in her element on such occasions. Her warm and friendly nature puts people at ease. How, then, to explain the departure of a half dozen of the couple’s staffers, including Prince Harry’s long-time aide, and the royal couple’s secretary, Samantha Cohen, who had previously worked for the queen for 17 years?

‘Meghan’s recent engagements since her marriage to Harry show how the American newcomer is being integrated into the not always glamorous family routine.’

Some, like Cohen, had only been seconded to Harry and Meghan for a specific period, and that time is up. But royal watchers say divergences of approach between the American former actress and the entrenched palace bureaucracy is also a factor.

For example, officials are used to the royals closely following the meticulous, calibrated planning of scheduled engagements, but Meghan’s approach is more free-wheeling. Prince Harry’s speeches are largely written by his staff, but his wife sometimes re-works them.

On a visit to a charity in Bristol that helps women break free from walking the streets and from drug addiction, Meghan was helping volunteers prepare food parcels when she suddenly asked for a black marker and set to work writing comforting messages

on bananas (“You are loved,” “You are strong”).

“I saw this project this woman had started somewhere in the States on a school lunch program,” she was later quoted as saying. “On each of the bananas she wrote an affirmation, to make the kids feel really, like, empowered.” When Kensington Palace tweeted what the duchess had done it raised eyebrows, and there are two takeaways from this small, but telling episode.

First, royals don’t write on bananas, and less so when the fruit is destined for prostitutes. Second, it was an American stunt, thereby reinforcing the view of some royal watchers that it’s been easier to take the star out of Hollywood, than to take Hollywood out of the star.

The most recent resignation was the duchess’s assigned female bodyguard from

Scotland Yard’s royal protection service. No reason was given for her departure, but the Yard suggested that the duchess had found having a bodyguard 24/7 restricting. “It can be quite constraining,” an anonymous Yard source was quoted as saying. “Even though [the duchess] was a famous actress, she could still do what she wanted in the way of getting around freely.” Not any more, of course, and the bodyguard was immediately replaced.

The key to full acceptance, royal watchers say, is to integrate as quickly and as smoothly as possible, which can hardly be said to be happening in the case of Duchess Meghan. It didn’t endear her to the British press when she recently authorized a group of her American female friends to grant interviews to People magazine—a U.S. publication—for a profile about her life as a royal. The palace bureaucracy wasn’t pleased at being bypassed either. There is a press department to handle such requests.

Nor did it help Meghan’s situation when George Clooney blasted the media about their treatment of the duchess, comparing it to Princess Diana’s ordeal. First, Clooney’s publicity seeking outburst was inaccurate—there is no indication that the duchess is hounded by the paparazzi, although she is getting increasingly negative press. But for older Brits - doubtless including some in the royal circle - the historic parallel wasn’t Princess Diana, but an earlier American who caused an English king to give up his throne and changed the course of history. That was Wallis Simpson, who married the abdicated King Edward VIII. Prince Harry, of course, has no throne to give up.

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