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Untold stories

Before the bells of Bath Abbey

A meeting at Ascot this September revealed a connection to the Francis Hotel that we were delighted to discover.

12/11/26

Francis Hotel Bath Before the bells of Bath Abbey

Our General Manager, Shaun Bowles, was representing our sister hotel, the Castle Hotel Windsor, when he met Sir Francis Brooke, Chairman and the King’s Representative at Ascot. Conversation turned to the Francis Hotel, which Shaun also manages. It turned out Sir Francis had stayed with us the night before his wedding.

On 8 April 1989, he married Katharine Hussey at Bath Abbey, almost thirty years after her parents, Lady Susan and Marmaduke Hussey, had exchanged their vows in the same church. With Lady Susan herself born in Bath, the city already held a special place in the family’s story.

The evening before, Sir Francis gathered with family and friends for dinner and an overnight stay at the Francis Hotel. It was, he recalls, great fun, with everyone well looked after. The wedding day quite rightly takes centre stage, but we’re pleased to have helped get the celebrations off to a good start.

Stormy weather in the preceding days gave way to sunshine, lighting Bath’s honey-coloured buildings as guests gathered at the Abbey. Among them were the then Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, with a young Prince William and Prince Harry. Katharine’s mother, Lady Susan, was a longstanding lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, while her father, Marmaduke, was Chairman of the BBC.

The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Assembly Rooms, though there was another event some guests were keen to catch up on.

The wedding had coincided with the Grand National. For a party with more than a passing interest in horses, this was quite the calendar clash. Sir Francis recalls that a recording was found and watched afterwards. The vows came first; the racing could wait.

Sir Francis and Lady Brooke went on to have three children and now have two grandchildren. With its honey-coloured streets and beautiful buildings, Bath was a fitting backdrop to the start of their married life. We were delighted to learn more about this fascinating family and the small but lovely part the Francis Hotel played in their story.

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