With the picturesque English countryside as a romantic backdrop on a warm June day, Madeleine de St Pierre Bunbury and George Packe-Drury-Lowe became husband and wife in one of the summer’s finest society weddings.
Madeleine, a renowned equine artist – who is currently painting one of the King's carriage horses and has previously been commissioned to paint horses belonging to the Prince of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth II – was the most beautiful bride in a period-inspired silk wedding dress and antique lace veil.
The heirloom Drury-Lowe diamond tiara added a regal touch as she said "I do" to George, an entrepreneur, on their special day, to which hello! received an exclusive invitation.
© Melissa Michel for Hello
© Melissa Michel for Hello!George's family seat, the magnificent Grade I-listed Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire – the home of the Packe family for over 360 years – was the venue for the couple's lunchtime reception, which followed the marriage ceremony held at Prestwold’s own church, St Andrew's.
George runs a safari tent retreat business with an immersive private dining experience in Prestwold’s grounds, which he started last year with his sister’s fiance, Max Kaberry, and his good friend Hamish Byers.
"Everything was perfect," says Madeleine, of their wedding day, which they celebrated with over 200 family and friends.
Royal connection
The happy occasion was royally connected, with guests including the Princess of Wales's family: her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, her brother, James Middleton, and his wife, Alizée Thevenet, along with their two-year-old son, Inigo, who was a page boy. Inigo had a wonderful time running around the gardens with the other children after the ceremony.
James Middleton tells us: “It was such a wonderful day and the most beautiful English wedding. It was a proud moment seeing Inigo as a page boy, and thankfully he didn’t get up to too much mischief!”
Madeleine is family friends with the Middletons, having met on the exclusive private Caribbean island of Mustique – known to be a favourite getaway of the British royal family and where Princess Margaret once had a home. The bride grew up on the island, where her parents, Lotty and Michael Bunbury, still live.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!A fashion designer, Lotty runs the island's popular Pink House boutique, while Michael is Mustique's resident doctor.
"We initially wanted to get married at my family home, but my granny can't travel all the way [from the UK] to Mustique," says Madeleine of her grandmother, Caroline Cardozo, with whom she is particularly close.
The stunning Prestwold Hall was an ideal choice. The wedding was held on a Friday, because the popular venue is "booked up every single weekend", the bride explains.
© Melissa Michael for Hello!Love at first sight?
Madeleine and George, both 31, met in March 2025 at a ball at the Cavalry & Guards Club in London's Piccadilly.
"We were sitting next to each other that night, and I don't think I particularly ingratiated myself," George says. "I was in decidedly exuberant spirits. It was certainly love at first sight for me, but Madeleine, rather wisely, appears to have taken a little longer to reach the same conclusion."
Madeleine thought George was "very handsome" and was amazed when he phoned her the next day inviting her for dinner. "I had to say no but we met two days later. He was living in Wiltshire, and I was living in Dorset."
"From the moment I took Madeleine out for supper, we didn't stop seeing each other," George smiles.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!They bonded over a love of horses and art.
"I think Madeleine was unconvinced of my riding abilities, and I remember the first time I sat on one of her horses, she said, 'Oh you can actually ride.’ That rather settled the matter,” George says.
George is a seasoned rider of the famed Cresta Run – a natural ice track used for tobogganing in the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz.
"Melissa Michel, our photographer, has been the official photographer of the Cresta Run for several years, which was one of the reasons we chose her," George says. "Everyone involved in the wedding was there for a reason, whether they were family or old friends."
George has known Melissa for many years, and several of the photos displayed throughout the house were, in fact, taken by her.
Proposal
In January, George chose the chic resort to propose to Madeleine. "There is an incredibly beautiful valley just outside St Moritz called Val Fex," he says. "We took a horse-drawn sleigh through the woods to this little hotel. It was a beautiful moonlit evening with a full moon, and I proposed in the back of the sleigh."
A medieval chapel at their proposal spot added more magic to the moment, George says. "It has these incredible frescoes on the wall. In the winter, they glisten with snow crystals on them. It's exceptionally beautiful."
"George asked my father for my hand [in marriage] months before," Madeleine says. "He saw them in September when they came to England, and then my parents had to keep the secret until January."
The bride's engagement ring is an antique cushion-cut diamond cluster ring, chosen by George.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!It's clear the couple are deeply in love. "Madeleine possesses an extraordinary instinct for making people feel welcome, included and entirely at ease," the groom says. "She has a rare ability to make every room more cheerful merely by entering it.”
Madeleine says of her new husband: "I love how George is so well-organised and thoughtful. He's very old-fashioned and chivalrous. He helps me write emails to my clients and organises me, because I'm this frantic artist who can't keep anything in line.”
Hens and stags
Madeleine's hen party took place at her art studio in Dorset, while George's stag party was held at his safari tent, Park Lodge, located in the parkland at Prestwold. Surrounded by mahogany campaign furniture, George and his ushers celebrated the evening before his nuptials. The party is still shrouded in secrecy. "No comment!" George says.
Madeleine's hen involved a tea party with friends, party games and a polka-dot painted pony. "There was lots of dancing, singing and drinking pink champagne.”
The day arrives
On the morning of their wedding, the bride got ready at Prestwold Hall with her family and bridesmaids, while the groom was at his cottage on the estate.
Madeleine's bridesmaids were Winnie Cardozo, nine, Zola Kerridge, eight, Audrey de St Pierre Bunbury, one, and Brooklyn Faber-Johnson, three. Her page boys were Inigo Middleton, two, George and Frederick Kulik-Selzer, five, and George’s brother, Matteo Packe-Drury-Lowe, six.
© Melissa MichelGeorge, who has been married before, tells us: "My children, Ursula, eight, and Claude, five, would have been a bridesmaid and page boy, but they sadly couldn't come over from France for the day."
Madeleine did her own hair and make-up “so there was no waiting around for anything”, she says. “I was trying to get the bridesmaids dressed but the little girls were reluctant to put on their pretty little dresses!"
Madeleine's sister, Jemima, adds: "I think our mother and I were more nervous than the bride herself! She seemed to be very chilled and enjoying having all of her friends and the children getting ready with her."
The dress
Madeleine's dress was designed by her cousin Lady Anastasia Compton, the daughter of Earl Compton, and made by Belinda Dunger. "My mother ordered all the silk, and then Belinda and Anastasia made it up for me – they were like little mice around me, pinning me together.”
"We wanted to make the dress feel Victorian or Edwardian, but a more modern approach," Anastasia says. "It has organza sleeves and collar, and dupion silk for the bodice and skirt. We started in February, so it took about four months."
Madeleine's shoes were silk court shoes borrowed from her grandmother, and her diamond earrings were her mother's.
The Drury-Lowe diamond tiara was lent to her by George's aunt Alice. It was made for the groom’s great-great-grandmother, Dorothy Marian Kate Drury-Lowe, in the 19th century, and features diamonds set in silver and backed in gold.
"George’s Auntie Alice was quite insistent that I wore it," Madeleine says. "She said it was given to her by her mother, and her instructions were 'every girl in the family must be allowed to wear this'. It's absolutely beautiful."
© Melissa Michel for Hello!The bridesmaids' dresses were off-white silk with a yellow sash, while the page boys wore off white silk shirts with ruffs and cuffs, yellow linen breeches and yellow Venetian slippers, all made by Anastasia.
A particularly poignant moment in the morning saw Madeleine receive her bouquet with flowers handpicked from the Prestwold gardens by the groom. The bouquet featured sweet Williams, penstemons, roses, freesias, astrantia and rose pelargonium from the conservatory at Prestwold, as well as delphiniums, which were the only flowers not sourced from the garden.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!"I thought it was wonderful," Madeleine says. "George had put in prominent blue delphiniums to be my something blue."
George's affinity with flowers began as a boy. "I love flowers, and it seemed so much more meaningful to make Madeleine’s bouquet myself," he says.
The church and reception arrangements were designed by Sophie Crowder of Big Day Blooms. George had a clear vision for the flowers, drawing inspiration from the rich abundance of 17th-century Dutch still-life paintings and the timeless artistry of the renowned British florist Constance Spry.
Sophie and her team foraged all the foliage from around the estate, while the holm oak used in the arrangements held a particularly personal significance, as every branch came from a tree given to George by his late grandfather when he was a boy.
George's morning
The groom's morning began at 6am. "I made Madeline's bouquet, then I went back to my cottage and had all my ushers over for bacon rolls – it was a very relaxing morning."
George wore morning dress with one his late grandfather's ties, a citrine stick pin and a stiff collar.
Walking to the church through the gardens was an emotional moment for Madeleine's father, Michael. "I was all happy and calm, but he was nervous and treasuring the last moment he had with me," she says.
"Just before we walked down the aisle, my father nearly had a heart attack,” she jokes. “He suddenly realised that the music playing was the very same piece my mother walked down the aisle to." The processional was Variation IX: Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Sir Edward Elgar.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Madeleine was overwhelmed with joy walking towards George in the church. "I looked around and saw so many familiar faces from my childhood. I was already smiling, but then I looked up at George and my smile expanded out of control."
"I had a tear in my eye, I have to admit," George says. "My best man, Major Charlie Onslow, had told me, 'You've got to allow for a dramatic pause before you turn around.’ I think it had the desired effect. Seeing Madeleine walking towards me was incredibly moving."
The couple married in a traditional Church of England service using the Book of Common Prayer 1662 and the King James Bible. The ceremony was conducted by George’s close friend, the Reverend Major Mark Nightingale, assisted by the Reverend Clive Watts, Rector of Prestwold. One guest even remarked that he wanted to start going to church again as the service was so good.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!
© Melissa Michel for Hello!
© Melissa Michel for Hello!There were moving moments when Madeleine's young cousins Alessio and Casimir Campe, and Lady Anastasia and Lady Theodora Compton, sang in the service, and Madeleine's sister Jemima gave a beautiful bible reading from 1 John IV:7-12. Madeleine's wedding ring was handcrafted by George's friend Zuleika Gerrish of Parkin & Gerrish, while George chose not to wear a wedding band.
The newlyweds stole a private moment at a side entrance as their guests exited. "It was so nice that we got to hide around the corner just chitchatting," Madeleine says. "We weren't chitchatting, we were having a quick snog!" George admits.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!The couple emerged from St Andrew’s to a shower of petal confetti, picked by the bride's aunt Lucy.
As they led a walking procession to the nearby garden reception, a piper played, and was charmingly given a dram of whisky, a traditional gesture of hospitality. "He piped behind us, had his dram and then carried on into the garden," George says.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Guests were welcomed with Bollinger Champagne and a selection of seasonal summer canapes, before Giffords Circus ponies trotted onto the lawn.
"We had the ponies as we wanted a child-friendly wedding," George says. "Sadly my children couldn't come, but the other children had the most lovely party."
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Heartfelt speech
George gave his speech outdoors, chosen so he could thank the many "amazing people" who work on the estate: Graham, the head gardener, Jane, a housekeeper, and Paul and Kath, who looked after the horses when George was younger.
The groom was full of emotion as he spoke about his new wife.
"I already know what kind of a mother Madeleine will be. I've seen the extraordinary love, patience and warmth she has shown to my two children, Ursula and Claude. It's no surprise that they absolutely adore Madeleine. Indeed, I can only hope that one day my own daughter grows into someone with the same kindness, lightness and generosity of character.”
He added: "I absolutely adore you, Madeleine. I shall always pick you flowers, wash your paintbrushes and mend whatever needs mending."
Wedding breakfast
The wedding breakfast was served indoors, with a starter of Parma ham and rocket salad, asparagus risotto for main course with a desert of summer fruits and elderflower terrine. The wines served included Louis Latour Mâcon-Lugny 2023, Les Hauts de Smith 2016 and Carmes de Rieussec Sauternes 2018. "We decided not to serve meat for the main course because it was a Friday," says Madeleine, reflecting the couple's wish to honour the traditional Christian custom of abstaining from meat on Fridays.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Madeleine's father gave a heartwarming speech paying tribute to his daughter, and the bride said a few words herself.
"George, you are so lucky you're marrying me!" she said, to much laughter. "Because in marrying me, you're marrying somebody who completely worships you.
"You are my bestest friend. You constantly amaze me and educate me. You always make me giggle and sniggle. I've always known I was lucky from birth, but today I do feel like the luckiest girl in the world."
For their first dance, the bride and groom took to the dance floor under a large canopy to the song Sway, composed by Luis Demetrio and Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, and performed by Adam Drew’s band Adam & The Apples.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Adam, George and Madeleine's great friend, even composed a song for the occasion whilst sitting at lunch. Titled Mustang Maddie and set to the tune of Mustang Sally, it was a light-hearted tribute to the bride and groom. Before long, guests were enthusiastically singing along to the chorus of "Ride, Maddie, ride!", making it one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
Guests joined the newly married Packe-Drury-Lowes (although the bride will remain a Bunbury within her profession), with James Middleton and Alizée Thevenet joining them on the dance floor. One lovely moment saw James dip his wife backwards as they shared a laugh. Later, George played the electric guitar on stage.
Carole Middleton enjoyed the music, too, and was later one of three guests to take to the dance floor when the house music came on, with George's father, Edward, on the decks. "This is the music I love!" Carole told the bride.
The couple’s wedding cake was laid out on a table – a traditional fruit cake made by the bride's aunt Madeleine, iced by her mother, Lotty, and topped with the trophy lid from the Bunbury Cup, a horse race at Newmarket named for Madeleine's family.
Proud parents
"It is the happiest day ever," Lotty told HELLO!. "I've absolutely loved it from dawn till dusk – I picked roses in the morning for the cake at 5am. I think George and Madeleine are utterly suited for each other. I couldn't be happier as a mother."
Madeleine's father, Michael, said: "It was the most emotional day of my life because I love my daughter so much. She seems to be happier than I've ever seen her.”
"Together they are perfection," said George's mother, Samantha Burgess. "I cried during every single speech." His father added; "I am enormously proud at the enlargement of my family.” His advice? "Have fun, love life.”
Famous names attended the couple's special day as well.
The actor William Moseley, who starred in the TV series The Royals and the Narnia films, said: "We're in Prestwold Hall, an extravagant place, but as the vicar said, at the root of it, love is what binds us. That really registered with me.” His partner is the model Ella Ross, who grew up with Madeleine on Mustique. Her wishes for the bride and groom are to "care for each other and for them to live a very long, happy and successful life together”.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!
© Melissa Michel for Hello!Anouk Jagger, who is married to Sir Mick Jagger’s youngest son with Jerry Hall, Gabriel Jagger (who was not in attendance at the wedding), is Madeleine's oldest friend. "I hope they really look after each other,” she says. “I don't have kids yet, but I want our kids to be friends and ride ponies together."
Early departure
As self-confessed early birds, Madeleine and George planned the day to end at 6.30pm. "We don't like partying late into the night," the bride says.
As the band’s performance concluded, the bride and groom appeared in matching traditional breeches and silk shirts, with their chestnut horses, Ernest and Khyber Knife, awaiting them on the lawn.
© Melissa Michel for Hello!"Riding away was the best fun," Madeleine says. Guests cheered as they cantered through the parkland side by side and holding hands, which they say is a regular occurrence.
"Then we went to the safari tent," George says. "We took off the horses' tack, let them graze in the little garden and had a bottle of vintage Pol Roger champagne."
Honeymoon in Greece
The next day, they jetted off to the Grand Forest Metsovo retreat in Greece’s Pindus mountain range, with an itinerary of lake swimming, horse riding and truffle hunting. The couple tell us they are looking forward to starting a family. "We're not rushing to have children, but we're also not going to wait forever," they smile.
As they reflect on their magical nuptials, Madeleine and George reveal their wedding gifts to each other.
"The artist Isabella Watling painted two portraits of us," Madeleine says of her present to George. Isabella tells hello!: “What a joy it was to paint Madeleine and George ahead of their wedding, especially as their clothes were such a beautiful texture, shape and colour. It's funny to think that centuries from now, the portraits might be looked upon by their descendants.”
George's gift to his wife was sentimental – he gave her his beautiful leather travel wash bag, filled with her favourite Santa Maria Novella beauty products. "I had always said how much I love it because I travel so much," she says. Rather romantically, her husband tells her, "It was me saying, 'What's mine is yours.’"
© Melissa Michel for Hello!
