Emma Thynn claimed the spotlight on Tuesday morning as IHG Hotels & Resorts and Vanity Fair hosted a star-studded lunch on day one of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Opting for a daring canary yellow gown with a thigh high split, the Marchioness of Bath showed off her toned legs shortly after arriving at the resort town’s Carlton Beach Club.
With a strappy, plunging neckline, the elegant gown ensured she commanded the lion’s share of attention while posing for pictures during her first public appearance since arriving in the south-of-France.
Emma, 40, appeared to be without her husband, British peer Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath, as she mingled with guests ahead of this year’s annual celebration of film.
Onlookers have long accused Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle of copying the Marchioness, who also has a lifestyle programme, and like the Duchess, produces homemade jam from her Longleat estate.
Comparisons between Emma and Meghan were also drawn in the latest season of reality TV show, Ladies Of London: The New Reign.
Emma Thynn claimed the spotlight on Tuesday morning as IHG Hotels & Resorts and Vanity Fair hosted a star-studded lunch on day one of the 79th Cannes Film Festival
In the opening scenes designer Lottie Kane brought up the Duchess while introducing the Marchioness to viewers.
‘She is the first black woman to be married into an aristocratic family, and I think Meghan Markle tries to claim that, but it was actually Emma,’ she said.
‘I’m of mixed heritage, half-Nigerian, half-English,’ added Emma, who became the Marchioness of Bath after her husband’s father, Alexander Thynn, died in 2020.
‘The press commented heavily on the fact that I was going to become the first woman of colour to hold this title, and I acknowledge the fact that… the only woman of colour in this position is me, still to this day.’
Greeting onlookers with a broad smile, the socialite stood out while lunching with an assortment of established Hollywood stars, among them former X Files star Gillian Anderson.
Emmett J. Scanlan, who started his acting career on Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks and has since starred in hit show MobLand and How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, was also in attendance after landing in Cannes for this year’s film festival.
On a busy day in the French town, stars including Michelle Rodriguez, Riley Keough and Halsey were among the first to arrive in anticipation of its launch on Tuesday evening.
This year, the Cannes Film Festival will honor filmmaker Peter Jackson with an honorary Palme d’Or at the upcoming French festival.
Festival organizers announced Jackson as a recipient in March for what they hailed as “a body of work that blends Hollywood blockbusters and films d´auteur with extraordinary artistic vision and technological audacity.”
The Lord of the Rings director, in a statement, called the honor “one of the greatest privileges of my career.”
With a strappy, plunging neckline, Emma’s elegant gown ensured she commanded the lion’s share of attention while posing for pictures at Carlton Beach Club
The socialite stunned as she posed for outdoor photos in front of the sweeping Riviera coast
Emma appeared to be without her husband, British peer Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath, as she mingled with guests ahead of this year’s annual celebration of film
Opting for a daring gown in canary yellow dress with a thigh high split, the Marchioness of Bath showed off her toned legs shortly after arriving at the venue
Actresses Gillian Anderson (left) and Jordan Coleman (right) were also in attendance on Tuesday morning
Emmett J. Scanlan, who started his acting career on Hollyoaks and has since starred in hit show MobLand and How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, was also in attendance
Actresses Maika Monroe (left) and Frida Gustavsson (right) caught the eye as they made their way across the red carpet
Actress Danielle Vasinova opted for a black and white polka dot printed dress on Tuesday
Jackson recalled that he first came to Cannes in 1988 to sell his first movie, Bad Taste. In 2002, he returned to preview Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
‘This festival has always celebrated bold, visionary cinema, and I´m incredibly grateful to the Festival de Cannes for being recognized among the filmmakers and the artists whose work continues to inspire me,’ he said.
Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård are among the jurors who will decide the Palme d’Or at this year’s festival.
Organisers unveiled the nine-member jury that will deliberate on the films in competition at the annual French Riviera festival in May.
As previously announced, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is president of the jury.
Along with him, Moore, Zhao and Skarsgård, the jurors are: Irish-Ethiopian actor Ruth Negga, Belgian director and screenwriter Laura Wandel, Chilean director and screenwriter Diego Céspedes, Ivorian American actor Isaach De Bankolé and Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty.
(L to R) Lucas Bravo, Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, and Alex Pettyfer attend the Vanity Fair x IHG Hotels & Resorts Cannes Opening Lunch
Actress Gillian Anderson (left) and Dubai based influencer Farhana Bodi (right) enjoyed soaring spring temperatures in Cannes on Tuesday
(L-R) Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, and fashion model Ikram Abdi Omar got into the party spirit on Tuesday
Gillian Anderson (left) and Maika Monroe (right) enjoyed the stunning Riviera backdrop as Tuesday’s lunch got underway
Jessica Platt caught the eye in a white sheer top and skintight shorts while attending the event
On a busy day in the French town, Riley Keough was among the first to arrive in anticipation of its launch on Tuesday evening
Michelle Rodriguez (left) and American singer Halsey (right) were also seen touching down in the south-of-France
American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez signed autographs for fans after arrving at Nice airport
Australian actress Cate Blanchett (left) and American actor James Franco (right) were spotted arriving in Cannes on Tuesday morning
Cate greeted onlookers with a beaming smile after arriving at Cannes hotspot Hotel Martinez
American film critic Elvis Mitchell (left) and Canadian actor Nathan Mitchell (right) were also present in the south-of-France on Tuesday
Gillian Anderson appeared to be in high spirits while leaving the JW Marriott in Cannes
Moore and Skarsgård have both in recent years co-starred in films at Cannes that ultimately earned them Oscar nominations.
Moore’s The Substance premiered at the festival in 2024. Last year, Sentimental Value, with Skarsgård, launched at Cannes.
Last year, Cannes gave honorary Palme d’Or prizes to Robert De Niro and Denzel Washington.
This year’s edition runs for eleven days from May 12 to the 23rd.
