London’s annual art fair has raised £840,000 for this year’s beneficiary Marie Curie Cancer Care, exceeding its target by £300,000.

It is the fourth year of the art fair, Masterpiece London, which culminates in the Midsummer Charity Party. The previous three balls have raised a combined total of £930,000 and last year’s charity partner was Clic Sargent.

This year, funds were raised through ticket sales, a silent auction, a live auction, raffle tickets and donations from guests. 

The ball was hosted by Marie Curie’s ambassador Heather Kerzer at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Guests included Hugh Grant, who is also a Marie Curie ambassador, Sarah Ferguson with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Ronnie Wood, Caprice, and Donna Air.

Marie Curie nurses and volunteers also attended the event to encourage others to bid and donate. 

The charity applied to the Masterpiece committee to become this year’s partner late last summer.

Marie Curie’s head of major gifts and special events, Lucy Sargent said: “We want to thank everyone who donated so generously, and thank Masterpiece and our host Heather Kerzner for making the event a shining success. The money raised will help to fund 42,000 hours of free nursing care for terminally ill people in their own homes.”

Earlier this year Absolute Return for Kids (Ark) cancelled its annual fundraising dinner saying that it planned to move to smaller events.