Billionaire Gretel Packer has implemented strict measures to safeguard her daughter Francesca Packer-Barham’s substantial inheritance prior to her marriage to entrepreneur Robert Bates.
Intimate Ceremony at Family Estate
Francesca, 31, and Robert exchanged vows in a private civil ceremony at the Packer family’s expansive 30,000-hectare Ellerston estate near Scone in regional New South Wales. The event drew just 18 guests over three days, including Francesca’s mother Gretel, who walked her down the aisle, grandmother Roslyn, father Nick Barham, and his wife Karen Carwin. Francesca’s brother Ben and half-brother William served as groomsmen, alongside members of Robert’s family.
The choice of location accommodated Roslyn’s mobility challenges following multiple hip and knee replacement surgeries.
Strict Prenuptial Agreement
Gretel, with an estimated net worth approaching $3 billion, spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive prenup. This agreement includes detailed clauses potentially linking payments to marriage duration, key anniversaries, or the arrival of children.
The precautions draw from Gretel’s past divorce from her second husband, Shane Murray, which involved prolonged litigation before a private settlement estimated at $5 million.
Shift from Original Plans
Francesca initially envisioned a full-moon wedding in Spain, aligned with her interests in spirituality and crystals, culminating on July 29. While celebrations in Spain and a combined hens’ and bucks’ party in Majorca on June 16 proceed, the couple is already wed by then.
