Ex-Chancellor George Osborne is set to wed his former aide this weekend amid speculation over a mystery email sent to their guests.
The former Tory MP will tie the knot with 40-year-old Thea Rogers, a Deliveroo executive, in the Somerset village of Bruton this Saturday. The ceremony will take place at 14th Century St Mary's Church, not far from the couple's five-bedroom, Grade II-listed house.
However, Mr Osborne was spotted looking less than enthusiastic as he picked up his designer Thom Sweeney suit for the occasion last night. A host of political figures are expected to attend the event, including former Prime Minister David Cameron and Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove, the Mirror reports.
The couple's big day comes after a strange email was sent to many of the invited guests as well as journalists at several news publications and their families. It triggered a social media frenzy as people tried to work out who was behind the anonymous message.
Mr Osborne implemented austerity measures as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2010 before standing down as an MP in 2017. He went on to become editor of the Evening Standard and is now chairman of the British Museum. He is also set to launch a new podcast in the autumn with former Labour opponent Ed Balls.
The 52-year-old made headlines again last month when he gave evidence at the Covid Inquiry about the impact austerity had. Mr Osborne admitted that no plans were ever made for a lockdown event, saying: "You're absolutely right that there was no planning done by the UK Treasury, or indeed as far as I'm aware, any western treasury for asking the entire population to stay at home for months and months on end, essentially depriving large sectors of the economy like hospitality of all their customers for months and months to come."
He announced his engagement to Miss Rogers back in April 2021, saying: "I have probably never been happier in my life." Just three months later, they welcomed their first child together, a son named Beau. Their second son, Arthur, was born on December 30, 2022.
The couple bought their Bruton home for £1.6million in 2020, with their neighbours including fashion designer Stella McCartney and film director Sam Taylor-Johnson. The village's celebrity residents have led to it being branded "the Notting Hill of the West".
Mr Osborne was first elected MP for Tatton in 2001 - making him the youngest Conservative MP in the Commons at the time. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 under Tory PM David Cameron.
According to Tatler, his partner Ms Rogers helped "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.
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