With his fourth divorce under way, you’d think a wedding would be the last place for Rupert Murdoch to forget his troubles.
But even as the ink dried on divorce papers filed by his estranged wife Jerry Hall in an LA court, the media tycoon was never going to miss his granddaughter Charlotte Freud’s big day.
In a striking white suit – matching one worn by the bride’s mother Elisabeth Murdoch – and red suede shoes, the billionaire mingled happily with 70 guests celebrating Charlotte’s marriage to rapper Luke Storey at a quiet Cotswold church yesterday, in scenes reminiscent of Succession, the blockbuster TV drama about a media dynasty.
If he was concerned by Ms Hall’s claim for ‘spousal support’, Mr Murdoch, whose wealth is estimated at £14 billion, certainly didn’t show it. Escorted to a Range Rover by Elisabeth, the 91-year-old smiled and nodded as he headed off for a family reception and party.
Rupert Murdoch and daughter Elizabeth at today’s wedding, between his granddaughter Charlotte Freud and her new husband Luke Storey
Charlotte smiles after marrying Luke Storey at St Mary’s Church in Burford, Cotswolds, today
Grandfather to the bride Rupert Murdoch wears a red tie as he is surrounded by invited guests at the wedding on Saturday
Newlyweds Charlotte Freud and Lukey Storey tie the knot at St Mary’s Church in Burford, smiling as they leave the ceremony
Charlotte gazes at her new husband, Luke, after they married on Saturday at a church in Burford, in the Cotswolds
Beaming bride Charlotte leaves the church carrying her bouquet after marrying her new husband Luke Storey on Saturday
The couple smile at one another after making their commitment inside the church. Charlotte wore layered necklaces and hoop earrings as part of her bridal look
Charlotte and Luke leave the church in a blue convertible with smiles on their faces after their wedding ceremony
The couple leave the church ceremony in a blue convertible with their initials in the windows
Their car had the letters C&L on the windows as they were driven away from the ceremony after celebrating their marriage on Saturday
Groom Luke wore a red shirt with a purple tie and blue suit, with a pink rose boutonnière to match Charlotte’s bouquet
The newlyweds smiled as they prepared to get into the blue convertible waiting to take them away from the church
Charlotte’s train was covered in yellow, pink and cream petals as she left the church on Saturday afternoon
Ms Hall’s petition claims their marriage broke down through irreconcilable differences. Reports suggested she blames the Murdoch children for wrongly believing she had tried to cut their ties with him.
Two of them, Elisabeth and younger son James, joined their father at the colourful ceremony in a Norman church in the West Oxfordshire village of Westwell.
James, who left the board of the family business, News Corporation, in 2020 after a disagreement over content, arrived wearing a long collarless shirt or kurta, normally worn in South Asia.
His wife Kathryn and their three children were also among guests, along with Elisabeth’s third husband, artist Keith Tyson, and Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkelman.
James Murdoch arrives at the wedding in a purple tunic, dark waistcoat and light trousers with his wife Kathryn Hufschmid
James Murdoch, Charlotte’s uncle, arrives at her wedding on Saturday in the Cotswolds with wife Kathryn Hufschmid, wearing an intricately pattered dress
James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn Hufschmid walk arm-in-arm towards the wedding at St Mary’s Church
Elizabeth Murdoch, Charlotte’s mother, arrives at Saturday’s wedding in the Cotswolds, with her husband Keith Tyson
Elizabeth Murdoch wears a cream suit and carries a clutch bag with love written in red lettering, as she arrives with her husband Keith Tyson
The mother of the bride, Elizabeth Murdoch, wears a red and green boutonnière on her cream suit
Elisabeth Murdoch and Keith Tyson make their way into the church with smiles on their faces
Charlotte’s father, Matthew Freud wears a burgundy suit as he makes his way into the church for his daughter’s wedding
Charlotte makes her way to the church, wearing a white appliqued dress, and holding a dark coloured bouquet
Guests gathered outside St Mary’s church in Burford after the couple tied the knot on Saturday
Guests leave the Burford churchyard after the ceremony, walking arm in arm down the path
Guests gather outside the front of the church, which is decorated in a floral display for the wedding ceremony
Large numbers of guests dressed in dark colours stand outside the Burford church in the Cotswolds after the ceremony
Guests stand in the churchyard, as the church entrance way is covered in a floral arch created for the celebrations
Guests dressed for the occasion stand outside the Cotswolds church following the wedding ceremony
Guests gather at the Cotswolds location for the couple’s wedding in Burford’s St Mary’s Church
She is helped by bridesmaids carrying lighter coloured blooms, with last-minute details and adjustments to her veil
The bride, with sultry eye makeup and layered necklaces, lifts the skirt of her dress, showing off white platform shoes
A bridesmaid helps Charlotte with a tissue, as she prepares to head into the church and marry groom Luke
Bridesmaids in satin blue dresses surround the bride before she enters the church today for the wedding ceremony
Four of Charlotte’s bridal party help her exit the car and assist with her dress as she makes her way towards the church
Charlotte smiles towards her bridal party as they arrive outside St Mary’s Church, and make their way into the building
A man with a camera focuses on the bride as she exits the car and makes her way to the church to wed groom Luke
Charlotte arrives at the ceremony in a convertible with initials on the windows and a heart with devil horns on the side
Charlotte’s bridal party arrive in a black people carrier wearing their blue dresses ahead of the ceremony
The bridal party, wearing satin blue dresses, carry bouquets with pink and white blooms as they head to the church
The bridal party smile in their occassionwear as they head to the church for the Cotswolds wedding today
Miss Freud, 21, who has launched a pop career using the name Tiarlie, arrived in a Bentley Continental convertible, driven to St Mary’s church by her father, the PR guru Matthew Freud.
After the 50-minute service guests were driven to a lavish reception on Elisabeth Murdoch’s estate nearby.
Both Mr Freud, 58 and Elisabeth, 53, have a reputation for throwing extravagant parties.
Residents of the picture-perfect village recently found their lanes patrolled by poker-faced security men while a small army of builders buzzed around a huge marquee at Elizabeth’s home.
Last month residents received hand-delivered letters advising them that there would be a ‘sizeable’ wedding reception with party music. One local joked: ‘They unfortunately forgot to include an invitation for us to go along. But at least they let us know and we can close the windows.’
Rupert Murdoch arrives in a black car for the wedding of his granddaughter Charlotte to Luke Storey
Claudia Winkelman wears an all black ensemble with sheer bottoms and open-toe heels as she arrives at the wedding with Emma Freud
Claudia Winkelman accessorises her all-black look with gold rings and a necklace, as she arrives at the wedding with Emma Freud
Guests arrive for the Cotswolds wedding today, with many wearing black or dark colours
A guest wearing a beige suit arrives at the wedding at St Mary’s Church, as more guests arrive at the venue
Guests in stylish attire arrive at today’s Cotswolds wedding between Charlotte and Luke
Guests make their way to the church for the wedding today, walking up the path towards St Mary’s
A man carries a large white planter as he assists with preparations for the couple’s wedding
Two women share the load and carry another white planter as part of the decorations for the wedding
A woman unloads flowers and greenery from a car in preparations for the wedding between Charlotte and Luke
Florists buckets are unloaded from a van as part of preparations for the wedding in the Cotswolds
Light pink roses are carried in a bucket towards the venue as part of the wedding preparations
St Mary’s Church in Burford hosted the ceremony to marry Charlotte and Luke
The bride, 22, who restyled herself as singer Tiarlie, got engaged to DJ Lukey Storey, 36, in July last year — three years after meeting at London private members club Laylow.
He popped the question while the pair were on holiday in Greece.
The couple, who both come from famous family dynasties, celebrated with an engagement party at Laylow, sharing black and white snaps of the occasion to Instagram.
The bride, who was raised by her PR guru father, Matthew Freud and Elisabeth Murdoch, the media mogul’s second daughter, has previously said that Luke was the inspiration behind kicking her ketamine drug habit.
Charlotte’s father, Matthew Freud, is the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and nephew of Lucian Freud who founded esteemed PR film Freud Communications. He is worth an estimated £170million.
His first wife Caroline Hutton, with whom he shares two children, went on to marry the Earl Spencer, Diana, Princess of Wales’ brother.
Charlotte grew up in the UK, shifting between family homes in London and Suffolk, and is one of 13 grandchildren on the Murdoch side of her family through her mother, Elisabeth.
Luke’s mother is British artist and designer Helen Storey, whose father was award-winning novelist David Storey – who won the Booker Prize in 1976 for his novel Saville.
Charlotte, who has been open about her previous drug use, told Tatler last year that the the pair were both addicts when they met at the west London private members club – where Luke was DJ and Tiarlie was working as a hostess having dropped out of school.
She said the couple had an ‘immediate obsession’ with each other, but admitted ‘it was kind of a mad relationship, we were kind of just using buddies’.
When Luke joined a 12-step programme to tackle his addiction, the singer admitted she was devastated that he cut her out of her life because of her substance abuse.
Charlotte has long been a somewhat unexpected figure in her rich and privileged family.
Back in 2019, she told her Instagram followers her mother was worried about her fashion choices leading up to a family wedding. She said her mother even hired her a personal shopper to ensure the frock she chose wouldn’t show too much cleavage.
‘My grandma’s getting married, so mum’s sending me to a personal shopper to make sure I cover my t**s up for the ceremony,’ the then 18-year-old told her 6,548 followers.
She later shared some of the looks, with comments such as: ‘If I must look ridiculous in exchange for free champagne, so be it’ and ‘the s*** I do for this family, gawd.’
