Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Amelia Spencer, married Greg Mallett in a spectacular South African wedding this week – and now royal watchers have been given the first glimpse of what the radiant bride wore.
The couple, who became engaged in 2020, said ‘I do’ in a stunning hilltop location in Cape Town, the city where their romance flourished. They were joined in the days-long extravaganza by Amelia’s twin, Lady Eliza Spencer, and siblings Lady Kitty Spencer, 32, and Samuel Aitken. Now, some of their friends, including celebrated stylist Jack Merrick-Thirlway, Creative Director of Neville Salon, have shared snaps from the event.
Posting on Instagram, Merrick-Thirlway shared a touching snap of him with Lady Amelia and the caption ‘the most beautiful bride’. In the photo, Amelia wears a dazzling embellished halter-neck gown with a dramatic low back and elegant side slit. Her blonde hair is worn in one of her signature styles: a sleek low ponytail with soft waves. Meanwhile Lady Eliza, who served as bridesmaid, was photographed in a satin gown in a glorious shade of ice blue. It is unclear whether these are the gowns the sisters wore to the main ceremony, or if they were a chic costume change for the reception.
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The couple opened up about their excitement in exchanging vows following more than a decade together. ‘It means so much to get married here [in Cape Town],’ Amelia, 30, told Hello! ‘Growing up here together for the last 14 years, all of mine and Greg’s happiest times as a couple are here. It’s even more special now.’ Greg, 33, added: ‘I’ve been dreaming of watching Amelia walk down the aisle for 14 years.’
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Lady Amelia, the daughter of Earl Spencer, and her dashing fiancé, a personal trainer and fitness guru, started the celebrations with a sunset welcome party over the weekend.
Guests stepped out in their finest cocktail attire as they gathered at a private seafront residence for an elegant evening to toast the happy couple. The bride-to-be looked effortlessly chic in a slinky satin halterneck dress with crossover straps that flattered the bust and tied in elegant fashion at the nape of the neck. To complete the streamlined silhouette, Lady Amelia swept her blonde hair into a sleek chignon. The less-is-more look was complemented by Lady Eliza, who wore a similarly fluid dress in a pewter shade that caught the light as it set behind the poolside party.
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‘The most beautiful pre-wedding celebration for you. I love you with all my heart,’ Lady Eliza gushed in an Instagram post. Mallett shared a tribute to his bride, writing: ‘You’ll never not make me laugh. And I'll never stop looking at you in awe.’
As the sun set on the pre-wedding party, luminous floating orbs were dropped into the pool to create a vibrant atmosphere. The happy couple kissed and gazed lovingly at each other as cameras captured some of their final moments together before becoming husband and wife. The celebrations continued into the night, with Mallett sharing photos of a group of guests from South Africa and the UK on an after-hours ‘tour’ of Cape Town.
Former Tatler cover star Lady Amelia announced her engagement to Mallett in July 2020, a decade after meeting at the University of Cape Town. At the time, plans were already underway for the nuptials of her elder sister Lady Kitty, 32, and Michael Lewis, whose extravagant wedding in Rome was among the highlights of the 2021 social season.
Lady Amelia eschewed a destination wedding in favour of one in Cape Town; the city where she was raised by her mother, Victoria Aitken. Aitken (née Lockwood) and her first husband, Earl Spencer, moved to South Africa with their four children, Lady Kitty, Lady Amelia, Lady Eliza and Louis, Viscount Althorp, in 1995 to escape the publicity that engulfed Princess Diana and her family members. On their divorce two years later, Earl Spencer returned to England (and remarried twice), while Aitken remained in Cape Town with their children. She welcomed a son, Samuel, with her second husband Jonathan Aitken (now divorced). Samuel was among the eligible singletons who dazzled at Tatler’s Little Black Book party.
Lady Amelia and Mallett arrived in Cape Town earlier this month, ahead of the wedding of a close friend. Lady Amelia shared a photo of her beaming fiancé as they toasted to their upcoming adventure in their (business class) seats.
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The couple, particularly Mallett, are fans of public declarations of love. Late last year, Mallett shared a stunning selection of photos of his glamorous fiancée on Instagram to mark a countdown to their wedding. ‘I did a thing for you. 4 months until I marry the love of my life!,’ he gushed in the romantic social media love letter. Lady Amelia replied: ‘Ahhhhhh this is so special! I love you with all my heart angel. I can’t wait for [eternity] with you.’
It has been a busy start to the year for Lady Amelia Spencer. First came her gloriously pink and girly hen do, where she sipped champagne and posed poolside as she was showered with love by her posse of perfectly groomed girlfriends. Next, she and Greg jetted out to Dubai where they joined the international glitteratti at the Beyoncé extravaganza that was the opening of Atlantis The Royal in Dubai. More recently came a line-up of fashion month shows. The Spencer sisters were at Michael Kors in New York, and Brunello Cucinelli, Alberta Ferretti and Del Core in Milan. In London, they walked the catwalk for teenage fashion sensation Josh Birch Jones in the historic setting of Dartmouth House.
It was a stylish occasion in Cape Town
