The youngest son of one of Britain's most well-connected families has cemented his own place in high society with a glamorous London wedding that attracted European royalty, even as the capital's crime problem cast a shadow over the festive season.
A Mayfair Wedding Fit for Royalty
David Hanbury, 39, the most junior member of the illustrious Hanbury family, married Anouska d'Abo, 34, in a ceremony at the Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair just before Christmas. The venue is famous as the setting for the opening scene of Richard Curtis's beloved romcom, Love Actually.
While the film boasted a star-studded cast, it lacked real-life royalty – a deficiency not present at the Hanbury wedding. The guest list shone with the presence of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, the 43-year-old younger daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf. The connection is familial: Princess Madeleine is Anouska d'Abo's aunt by marriage, having wed Anouska's uncle, financier Christopher O'Neill, in 2013. The royal couple later asked Anouska to be godmother to their second daughter, Adrienne, whose christening was held at the majestic Drottningholm Palace.
David Hanbury's own family connections are formidable. His father's best friend is the Duke of Beaufort, one sister is the Countess of Durham, and another is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The family are also Norfolk neighbours and great friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
AI Entrepreneur with a Mission
Beyond his aristocratic lineage, David Hanbury is carving a significant path in the world of technology and healthcare. An Old Etonian like his father Tim, he earned a First in Engineering Science at Oxford and another in Data Science at London University.
He is now the founder and chief executive of Deep Medical, an ambitious startup that aims to use artificial intelligence to predict missed NHS appointments and help eliminate the treatment backlog. His expertise in data science might one day be useful for tracking royal movements, but for now, it's focused on revolutionising healthcare efficiency.
London's Lawless Streets: A Christmas Crime
In stark contrast to the wedding's glamour, a separate incident highlights growing concerns about crime in the capital. Model Martha, Lady Sitwell, fell victim to a brazen theft while caring for her dying dog, Ethel.
Her car was broken into in South Kensington while she was at a vet's surgery for half an hour. "I was in the vet with my beloved dog Ethel, who's in end-of-life care, when some toe-rag smashed my window," Lady Sitwell reported. The thieves took only a half-smoked packet of cigarettes.
Expressing frustration with the police response, she added that officers declined to visit the scene, merely promising to check CCTV. The incident has been framed as evidence of the increasingly lawless state of London under Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, with no respite for petty criminals over the Christmas period.
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