The extravagant wedding celebrations of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani, the son of billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, have dominated headlines this month.
The couple kicked off their celebrations with a three-day prenuptial extravaganza that included performances from Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Rihanna, a four-day Mediterranean cruise with 800 of their friends and a huge party attended by the likes of Karlie Kloss and Bill Gates.
With the pre-nuptial celebrations already costing more than one billion dollars, the couple’s actual wedding ceremony took place in Jamnagar last weekend—and it was just as opulent as you might imagine.
With couture dresses, 60 floral animal sculptures, 14,000 guests, the wedding celebration was attended by likes of the Kardashians, the Blairs and the Rothschilds.
But it’s not over yet—now the celebrations are heading to England, where the couple have reportedly block-booked Berkshire’s historic Stoke Park manor and grounds until September.
These celebrations also won’t be short of celebrity guests with Prince Harry and Boris Johnson rumoured to be attending.
Where Will The Ambani Wedding Celebrations Be Held In England?
The Ambani’s are rumoured to be continuing their celebrations at Stoke Park—a grade II listed, seven star hotel in Berkshire.
The property is owned by Anant’s father, who purchased the country estate (which total 300-acres) in 2021 for £57 million (AU$111.3 million.)
The estate has an interesting history of its own, with the building once belonging to Queen Elizabeth I and featuring in the James Bond film Goldfinger.
What Is The Ambani and Stoke Park Estate Controversy?
Not everyone has agreed with the Ambani’s purchase of the property however, with the Financial Times reporting that Ambani senior has clashed with the community and local council.
Soon after Ambani purchased the estate, he expelled all the exclusive golf club’s 850 members before shutting the doors for renovations.
After the family hosted a wedding celebration for a relative in 2022, people began questioning why the hotel is still closed for the public but open for the Ambani family.
As a historical property, the estate must be used as a commercial property and not a private one.
In 2022, these questions were answered in a letter from Stoke Park’s law firm, which told the council that ‘representatives’ of Reliance, Mukesh Ambani’s firm, had ‘together with their families, from time to time’ occupied the property to plan the renovation.
However in 2023, planning permission papers, which revealed an application to replace the communal club dressing rooms with a large kitchen, led many people to believe that the family has no plans to use the property as a hotel and will keep it as accommodation for the family when they’re in England.
These suggestions have only been fuelled by the installation of an aviary for parrots and a peacock enclosure.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
