The couple at the centre of the world’s most expensive wedding are set to host a two-month after-party at a prestigious country club in …
The couple at the centre of the world’s most expensive wedding are set to host a two-month after-party at a prestigious country club in Slough and could get the Duke of Sussex to attend.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant captured gazes around the world with their extraordinarily opulent £250million nuptials in Mumbai earlier this month.
The remarkable three-day affair saw the rich and famous – including the likes of Kim Kardashian, Boris andÂ
Carrie Johnson, and Tony and Cherie Blair – fly into India for the event.
But while the happy day is over it seems the honeymoon has barely begun, with the newly-weds deciding to stay at Stoke Park in Berkshire until September as they celebrate.
Sources have claimed that the couple’s cosying up with the rich and famous has not finished, with the Johnsons and Blairs both expected to pay visits to them while their ensconced in the seven star hotel.
It is even believed that Prince Harry might make an appearance at the venue, which lies less than seven miles from Windsor Castle, which is often used by his father King Charles for audiences.Â
A source with knowledge of the couple’s plans told The Sun: ‘The Ambanis don’t do things by halves and so thought nothing of booking the entire venue for two months.
‘The cost is chicken feed to them. The bride and groom and family will attend different parties planned between now and September.
‘Security, which is tightened, has been told to expect Boris Johnson and Tony and Cherie Blair. Prince Harry is also said to be hoping to pop in.’
Stoke Park is a historic Grade II listed venue and boasts a very exclusive gold club made up of 850 members.
However, block booking the venue won’t prove difficult for the happy couple because the entire site is owned by Anant’s father, Mukesh Ambani.Â
Mukesh, who is Asia’s richest man and the ninth wealthiest person in the world, bought the estate in 2021 for £57million.
After completing the purchase he closed the venue for extensive ‘renovations’ and terminated the memberships of its 850 members, sparking fury among its former patrons.
A two-year plan was announced for a revamped golf course and a palatial hotel, which was used as a backdrop in the James Bond film Goldfinger.
But three years later the clubhouse remains off-limits and only a handful of golfers have been able to play – including the England cricket team before their Ashes series against Australia last summer.
Golf members are said to concerned the Ambani family have no real intention of running a proper golf and country club at Stoke Park and instead plan to use the site as a ‘glorified Airbnb’ when they are in Britain.
Earlier this month a spokesman for the club insisted work was still ongoing to ‘restore its facilities and deliver a world-class hotel and golf course, as well as to protect and enhance the heritage assets and parkland for the benefit of future generations’.
They strongly rejected the suggestion that the clubhouse was simply being turned into a ‘grand personal home’ for the Ambanis.
The wealthy family, who also own Hamley’s and were reportedly interested in buying Boots, have been in the headlines recently for perhaps the world’s most lavish series of wedding events, the entire cost of which is believed to have reached and estimated 563million.
The first celebrations began in March, with the likes of Rihanna and Akon performing in front of 1,200 guests at a pre-wedding party costing £126million.
This was followed by a £94.5million cruise around the Mediterranean which saw Katy Perry, the Backstreet Boys and Pitbull put on a show for 800 lucky invitees.
The nuptials themselves at the beginning of July saw the family book out the 16,000-capacity Jio World Convention Centre for three days of celebrations.
Pictures from the celebrations showed a ‘Disneyland’ including huge flower sculptures and a recreation of an antiques store and a shop selling lassi – a Punjabi yogurt–based beverage.
Among the attendees were two former British prime ministers, the Kardashians, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, as well as WWE star John Cena.Â
The parties have continued since the wedding itself too – Justin Bieber took part on one such celebration this month, The Sun reports.
It has since emerged that the family may have enjoyed another private wedding party at Stoke Park, with photos and videos on social media tagged ‘private pre-wedding party’ showing a disco with guests dressed in white.Â
Meanwhile, in June, photos were shared on Instagram showing Ms Merchant wearing a white Tamara Ralph couture wedding dress inside what appears to be the clubhouse.
A spokesman for the club told The Times this month they could not comment on the nature of private events.
Former members who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity shared their concern about the course’s future, with one claiming it had ‘been sold from beneath our feet’.
One angry former member raged to The Times: ‘It’s a glorified Airbnb, if you like. Albeit a rather large and expensive Airbnb.’ Another says: ‘It feels like the seat of a feudal court. It reminds me of Trump at Mar-a-Lago.’
Mukesh Ambani bought the lease for £57million via Reliance Industries Limited, the parent company of a huge business empire spanning energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, entertainment, telecommunications, mass media and textiles.
Designed by Harry Colt in 1908, Stoke Park is considered one of England’s best courses and regularly ranked among the top 100 in the world.
A small number of golfers have been allowed to play on the course since the 2021 purchase on a pay-to-play basis.Â
Earlier this month Stoke Park said: ‘For the first time, the golf course is now open to the general public on a more inclusive pay and play model. The pay and play model decision was communicated to former golf members in 2022 as the future business model for golf at Stoke Park.
‘We have also hosted a range of high-profile events with facilities already available during the renovation, including the Boodles, the luxurious summer garden party with top-flight tennis, charity events as well as golf days.
‘We cannot comment on private agreements between Stoke Park and its commercial clients. We are continuing to work closely with the council as both our landlord and planning authority and other stakeholders, in compliance with the guidance, applicable rules and regulations.’
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