The concept was delicious — invite the heir to the French throne (if there were a throne) to Houston to speak on royal weddings, sharing the inside scoop on protocols of royal mergers only days before the big Kate and Will show in London. Ask the ladies to dress up in wedding white and suggest white chapeaus. It would be a lovely spring luncheon to benefit Joanne King Herring's Marshall Plan for Afghanistan.

That was the plan, according to Joanne and luncheon chair Connie Cooke. But the event got sidetracked when Prince Jean de France, Duc de Vendome, took the stage in the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom and delivered a French history lesson rather than dishy royal wedding insights. You could almost see the genteel tableau of ladies in white wilting under the weight of 6th and 10th century minutia. (The one interesting tidbit that awakened slumbering luncheon-goers was the fact that the prince's bride wore a couture gown by Christian Lacroix for their wedding in 2009.)

Happily, there was much more to the fundraiser than the 30-minute dissertation, for the generous prince presented the Bourbon Medal of Freedom, previously reserved for French nobles, to a handful of individuals instrumental in launching the Marshall Plan to build a model village in Afghanistan.

Susan Krohn, Larry Brookshire, Brian Teichman, Penny and Paul Loyd and the luncheon's honorary chairs Donna and Robert Bruni were bestowed the honor. Also receiving the special recognition was luncheon honoree Margaret Alkek Willliams, recognized for her myriad accomplishments and her philanthropy.

In something of a return of the favor, His Royal Highness, as the prince prefers to be addressed, was made an honorary citizen of Texas in a state proclamation delivered by Tricia Dewhurst, wife of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Paul Somerville, chairman and CEO of Associated Pipeline Contractors and host of a Saturday barbecue in the prince's honor, presented the Frenchman with a beautiful western hat, which HRH immediately donned, a nice compliment to the ostrich western boots and rodeo western belt that he wore throughout his Houston visit. Those also were welcome gifts from Somerville.

Heading up the luncheon honorary committee were Guyla Pircher, Virginia Reisman and Sherry Sutton. They led the fashion parade that included more takes on white attire than in the Casa de Novia showroom.

Leading the fashion wave were Sheridan Williams, Jana and Scotty Arnoldy, Jeri Shapiro, Kathryn Rabinow, Linda Gale White, Sarah Pesikoff, Astrid and Gene Van Dyke, Kathy Goossen, Susan and Dick Hansen, Merele Yarborough, Betty Hrncir, Clayton Cooke, Kimberly DeLape, Phyllis Williams, Mark Sullivan, Cerón, Jessica Rossman, Susan Vick and Bellaire City Councilman Corbett Parker.

And making her return to the social swim after having been off the radar since the death three years ago of her husband I.W. Marks was Shelly Ann Marks.