George Osborne has called in police to investigate a “distressing campaign of harassment” as a poison pen letter was circulated to guests on the eve of his wedding.
The former chancellor will marry his one-time adviser Thea Rogers, 40, at a church ceremony today - despite what his friends have described as a “longstanding” campaign being waged against him.
It is believed Mr Osborne, 52, know the identity of the author of the email that was circulated to guests, friends, and family as well as to prominent journalists.
He has begun civil proceedings against the person and has now asked police to investigate.
His wedding will take place today at St Mary's Church in Bruton, Somerset - near the couple's five bedroom, Grade II listed home - but friends stress the alleged author “has no connection” to either the ex-chancellor or his bride-to-be.
Photos taken at the 14th century church show the venue being decorated with white flowers today.
The couple announced their engagement in April 2021 and they welcomed their son Beau three months later.
Their second son, Arthur, was born on December 30 last year.
The riddle over the note sent to many of the invited wedding guests has triggered fevered social media speculation as to who was behind the anonymous email.
It is understood a similar email – making a series of seemingly unsubstantiated claims about Mr Osborne’s private life – was sent to a more limited audience of friends and family about a month or two ago.
Mr Osborne stood down from the Commons six years ago, but he remains very well connected, and was editor of the London Evening Standard from 2017 to 2020.
Bruton has been dubbed the “new Notting Hill” by British Vogue after luminaries such as Stella McCartney, the fashion designer, and Sam Taylor Johnson, the artist and film-maker, moved in.
Mr Osborne and Ms Rogers, who was the politician's spin doctor, have two young children together. They live in a £1.6 million house in Bruton, bought in 2020, one year after Mr Osborne divorced his first wife Frances.
VIPs from all walks of Mr Osborne’s life, including David Cameron and Michael Gove, are expected to attend the ceremony.
However the wedding is being overshadowed by the extraordinary campaign of harassment.
Mr Osborne, pictured last night picking up his luxury Thom Sweeney suit ahead of the wedding service, has suffered "great distress" by the modern form of the poison letter.
A friend told the Telegraph: "The email is part of a longstanding campaign of harassment against them. The individual’s identity is known to them but has no connection to them. It has been an ongoing campaign for some time.
"It is hugely distressing particularly at this time. It has caused great distress for some time and particularly given this is the weekend of the wedding. It is awful.”
Mr Osborne and Ms Rogers met at work after Ms Rogers was hired from the BBC to the Treasury as a special adviser and then promoted to become Mr Osborne’s chief of staff in 2015.
According to Tatler Ms Rogers, his former spin doctor, helped Mr Osborne "overhaul" his image - improving his diet, wardrobe and haircut.
The magazine claims she "metrosexualised" him and helped him on the 5:2 diet, which involves intermittent fasting.
