Francesca Packer-Barham is a married woman.
The billionaire heiress wed fiancé Robert Bates at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon in front of just 18 guests, with the ceremony taking place at the secluded Packer estate in the Upper Hunter Valley in NSW, news.com.au reports.
The 31-year-old said ‘I do’ on the grounds of the opulent 30,000-hectare estate, with guests including Packer’s mother Gretel, grandmother Roslyn and her father, Nick Barham.
Nick’s second wife, Miss World contestant Karen Carwin, is also among the guests at what will be a three-day party at the estate.
Francesca opted for a non-denominational, civil ceremony, with her mother, Gretel, reportedly walking her down the aisle.
Her younger brother, Ben, is believed to have acted as a groomsman, as did Francesca’s half-brother William.
Francesca Packer-Barham is a married woman, according to a new report. The billionaire heiress wed fiancé Robert Bates at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon. Both pictured
Member’s of Robert’s family are likewise in attendance at the intimate celebration.
A major motivation for holding the wedding on home turf is the health of Francesca’s grandmother, who is reportedly suffering mobility issues after two hip replacements and two knee replacements, news.com.au reports.
Workers could be seen preparing the grounds ahead of the nuptials earlier on Wednesday, with a groundskeeper
The socialite originally planned to marry Bates under a full moon in Spain.
It was reported that Packer ‘has caught many in her wider social orbit off guard’ with the news that the multi-day celebration that Packer planned to take place in Majorca in July is not the main event.
Packer originally planned the three-day celebration to align with the lunar cycle, with the festivities ending on the night of July 29, when the full moon emerges.
The plans are inspired by Packer’s ‘interest in spirituality and crystals’, the publication alleged.
While the Spanish celebration will go ahead, it turns out that Packer will already be married when she greets her guests.
Packer will reportedly next celebrate at a hens’ party in Majorca on June 16, with the ‘unconventional’ event combining both the hens and bucks nights.
It will be an ‘intimate’ occasion despite Packer’s fame, due to the Iran war, making travel difficult for some of the socialite’s A-list friends.
‘Things feel very volatile at the moment. People don’t want to get stuck at airports or stranded overseas if the situation escalates,’ a source tells The Daily Telegraph.
The granddaughter of late media mogul Kerry Packer – as well as daughter of Gretel and English financier Nick Barham, and niece of James Packer – has been dating the controversial wellness CEO, 46, since 2022.
While the pair never publicly confirmed an engagement, Packer hinted at it through a second Instagram account seemingly dedicated to a forthcoming marriage.
She is following a page titled ‘Francesca & Robert’, complete with a ring emoji.
‘We can’t wait to celebrate with you!’ the bio reads.
While some may have private concerns about the relationship between Bates and Packer given his history of controversy, one family friend gave the couple the benefit of the doubt.
‘[Francesca] is really kind and giving and I know that if she’s engaged to this man, then she sees the good in him,’ the well-placed source told Daily Mail.
‘I wish her all the happiness. She’s a very smart, intelligent woman. I think that if she’s made that decision, she deserves love and everyone should let her get on with it.
‘At the end of the day, whose right is it to comment on who she chooses to spend the rest of her life with?
‘Just because she’s a billionaire doesn’t mean she owes anyone anything. She deserves happiness just like the rest of us.’
Packer and Bates were first spotted together when he attended her 28th birthday party in November 2022.
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