How Prince Robert of Luxembourg Began Supplying the Wine at the Oscars

Dorothy ScarboroughFri, March 13, 2026 at 3:53 PM UTC

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Every year after the Oscars, when the final gold statuette has been distributed and the last tear shed, Hollywood’s elite departs the Dolby Theater for a ballroom upstairs to attend the Governor’s Ball. The food is legendary, always overseen by Wolfgang Puck and always featuring the signature chocolate Oscar statuettes (this year, they’ll produce 6000). Also on the menu are some of the finest wines from Domaine Clarence Dillon, selected by the company’s president, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, (his first cousin is Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who abdicated in 2025 in favor of his son, Guillaume). The wine is also served during the awards itself, but the party really begins in the ballroom. This year, they’re highlighting reds and whites from across the company’s holdings, including the white La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2021, and red Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2015.

Prince Robert’s own life isn’t lacking for cinematic details. “My first language was Luxembourgish, then German and French, but my English was quite weak until I was 11 or so.” He also had an early foray in the movies: “I started as a young screenwriter when I was in my early 20s and my wife [Princess Julie] and I were signed by Creative Artists Agency, and they brought us to Los Angeles.” Though none of their screenplays were ultimately realized, one was optioned by Columbia and John Peters Entertainment, and as it it went through the town’s normal paces, the European royals turned budding screenwriters found themselves at long lunch meetings at some of Hollywood’s best restaurants, including those run by Puck. “That was also the the early days of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and we would go there. We had a lovely expense account.” Though the movies didn’t totally pan out, the connections did.

Prince Robert with his daughter, Princess Charlotte of Nassau, at the 96th annual Academy Awards.Courtesy Domaine Clarence Dillon

The wine portion of his life goes back much further. The key year is 1935, when Prince Robert’s grandfather, the American financier Clarence Dillon, bought the legendary Château Haut-Brion. Dillon’s grand-daughter, Joan Dillon, Dowager Duchess of Mouchy, married into the Luxembourg royal family and later inherited Domaine Clarence Dillon from her father. She passed the top job to her son, Prince Robert, in 2008. He has in turn expanded the company by building new vineyards, including Quintus, and creating new brands, including the Clarendelle blends from across the Bordeaux region.

Then the Oscars came calling. For five years, Californian Cabernets and Chardonnays from one of Hollywood’s own royal families had reigned supreme. “I happened to be there when there was a changeover, when the sponsorship of Mr. Coppola [and his Francis Ford Coppola Wines], who had been the main sponsor for many years, sold his business.” Were there any issues with moving from an American vineyard to a French one? “We didn't make that possible. That was not an option. Once we were in the door, you know, after a couple glasses and a bit of conversation, they knew I could send the horse head to someone's door.” Only appropriate for someone who was hoping to take over from the director of The Godfather. And, of course, there’s the fact that he’s catering to an increasingly international Academy. Now, more than ever, non-English language fare—like this year’s Sentimental Value (from Norway) and The Secret Agent (from Brazil) are strong contenders in many categories, including Best Picture.

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A bar at the 2026 Governor’s Ball preview, featuring Domaine Clarence Dillon wines.Monica Schipper - Getty Images

His role also comes with a seat at the Oscars, where he runs into friends from his many worlds. In 2023, the first year he attended, he saw Michelle Yeaoh, up for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. “I knew [Yeoh] and her husband [French motor executive Jean Todt] from a different life, and we just happened to be there together. Amazingly enough, that was the night she won, and very deservingly so.” In 2024, he partied with the Barbie team, including David Heyman, the film’s producer. Heyman optioned Prince Robert’s very first screenplay. “He’s now massively successful, what with the Harry Potter films, but he has has become a friend over the years, but we've known another since our parking lot days when we were just starting out in LA.”

As for his own movie preferences? “I don’t like scary films.” He’s also a fan of Sideways, Alexander Payne’s 2004 dramady about friends road-tripping around California Wine Country, and complaining about Merlot. “Though I do think that was incorrect: I think the elegance of the the Merlot grape varietal is much deeper than it was told in that particular story. I think that was an easy hook, but I don't think it was particularly technical.” But making a good movie is a bit less about truth than making a good wine, something Prince Robert knows well, but still, it’s good he has an appreciation for both.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”