{"id":556169,"date":"2026-08-02T13:15:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T13:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/556169\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T13:15:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T13:15:33","slug":"something-blue-billionaire-heiress-francesca-packer-breaks-tradition-with-her-wedding-dress-as-she-marries-partner-robert-bates-at-an-exclusive-three-day-event-in-mallorca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/556169\/","title":{"rendered":"Something blue! Billionaire heiress Francesca Packer breaks tradition with her wedding dress as she marries partner Robert Bates at an exclusive three-day event in Mallorca"},"content":{"rendered":"

Francesca Packer has married her partner Robert Bates in an exclusive ceremony in Mallorca – with the bride donning an ethereal ice-blue gown for her ‘something blue’.<\/a><\/p>\n

The happy couple, who legally married in Australia in May, have been celebrating their nuptials at the stunning La Fortaleza estate on the Spanish island with a three-day event this week.<\/p>\n

They exchanged vows during an evening service at the 17th-century fortress overlooking the Bay of Pollen\u00e7a, with family and close friends in attendance on Friday.<\/p>\n

The billionaire heiress, 31, broke with tradition and wore a blue couture gown with a silvery sheen, cathedral-length veil and sweeping train.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She carried a bouquet of white flowers that contrasted against the off-the-shoulder cut dress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her husband wore a cream dinner jacket, standing out from the groomsmen who wore tailored teal dinner jackets that complemented the bridal party’s colour palette.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Francesca <\/p>\n

Francesca Packer has married Robert Bates in an intimate ceremony on Friday in Spain<\/p>\n

\"Francesca <\/p>\n

Francesca married Robert following a three-day event in Mallorca<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

The bride donned an ethereal ice-blue gown with sweeping train for her ‘something blue’<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

She wore a cathedral-length veil and carried a bouquet of white flowers<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The bridesmaids wore mismatched satin gowns in shades of teal, turquoise and sapphire blue\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Among <\/p>\n

Among them appeared to be Francesca’s cousin, Indigo Packer, 17<\/p>\n

The bridesmaids wore mismatched satin gowns in shades of teal, turquoise and sapphire blue inspired by the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among them appeared to be Francesca’s cousin, Indigo Packer, 17.<\/p>\n

Proceedings began shortly after 5.30pm when Robert arrived via the family’s superyacht Arctic P, a vessel owned by his mother-in-law, Gretel Packer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Francesca had arrived privately at the venue before the celebrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guests then arrived half an hour later for welcome drinks, including\u00a0Francesca’s uncle James Packer, accompanied by his fianc\u00e9e Kylie Lim.<\/p>\n

Close Packer family friend and television personality Lizzie Cundy was also spotted after joining James Packer aboard his $285million superyacht on the Spanish island earlier this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Francesca was walked down the aisle by a silver-haired gentleman believed to be her father, English financier Nick Barham.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Francesca and Robert exchanged vows from approximately 7pm on a grand stone terrace framed by centuries-old columns, with the Mediterranean as their backdrop.<\/p>\n

\"Pictured, <\/p>\n

Pictured, guests arrive for welcome drinks, including Francesca’s uncle James Packer, accompanied by his fianc\u00e9e Kylie Lim<\/p>\n

\"Robert <\/p>\n

Robert Bates arrived via the family’s superyacht Arctic P, a vessel owned by his mother-in-law, Gretel Packer<\/p>\n

\"He\u00a0wore <\/p>\n

He\u00a0wore a cream dinner jacket, standing out from the groomsmen, who wore tailored teal dinner jackets and trousers that complemented the bridal party’s colour palette<\/p>\n

\"La <\/p>\n

La Fortaleza in Mallorca is a former military fortress that has been transformed into an ultra-exclusive private residence<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The estate featured in the BBC television series The Night Manager<\/p>\n

La Fortaleza, considered one of Spain’s most spectacular private estates, can host up to 250 guests outdoors and offers 11 rooms on site.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Built in the 17th century as a military fortress, the clifftop property is now an ultra-exclusive private residence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It featured in the BBC television series The Night Manager as the home of arms dealer Richard Roper, played by Hugh Laurie.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, it remains one of Europe’s most coveted private venues, hosting only a select number of high-profile weddings and exclusive events.<\/p>\n

Francesca and Robert are understood to have worked with the Balearic Island-based wedding planning studio Mille Papillons, which specialises in multi-day destination celebrations.<\/p>\n

The couple kicked off their wedding celebrations on Wednesday, with a glamorous arrival to a Mallorca port.<\/p>\n

Francesca turned heads in a pastel blue thigh-split dress for the occasion, continuing a theme centred on the colour blue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With her\u00a0‘interest in spirituality and crystals’, the choice to embrace blue may have carried additional significance beyond the wedding tradition, as in spiritual circles, blue can signify inner peace, divine connection and truth.<\/p>\n

\"Pictured, <\/p>\n

Pictured, guests arrive at the\u00a0La Fortaleza estate on the Spanish island Mallorca<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

The ceremony commenced at 7pm, avoiding the heat of the Spanish sun<\/p>\n

\"British <\/p>\n

British television personality Lizzy Cundy was also among the guests<\/p>\n

\"One <\/p>\n

One guest can be seen with a fan as she walked to the celebration<\/p>\n

During the welcome ceremony on Wednesday, Francesca accessorised with an array of jewellery, including diamond and aquamarine drop earrings, a large diamond and aquamarine ring and her diamond engagement ring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A white $9,000 Chanel handbag and white strappy espadrilles completed her ensemble.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple were said to be holding their wedding celebrations under the full moon, with festivities scheduled to conclude as it rose over the estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Francesca and Robert were legally married at Ellerston, the Packer family’s opulent 30,000-hectare estate in NSW, in May.<\/p>\n

The couple said ‘I do’ in front of just 18 guests, including Francesca’s mother, grandmother Roslyn Packer and father, Mr Barham.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nick’s second wife, Miss World contestant Karen Carwin, was also among the guests at the three-day party at the estate.<\/p>\n

Francesca opted for a non-denominational, civil ceremony, with Gretel reportedly walking her down the aisle.<\/p>\n

\"La <\/p>\n

La Fortaleza sits on the northside of Mallorca<\/p>\n

\"Outdoor <\/p>\n

Outdoor seating featured white flower arrangements, table linens and black seating<\/p>\n

\"La <\/p>\n

La Fortaleza can accommodate up to 250 guests in its outdoor spaces<\/p>\n

\"Francesca <\/p>\n

Francesca and Robert are understood to have worked with the Balearic Island-based wedding planning studio Mille Papillons, which specialises in multi-day destination celebrations<\/p>\n

Her younger brother, Ben, is believed to have acted as a groomsman, as did Francesca’s half-brother William.<\/p>\n

A key reason for holding the wedding in Australia was reportedly the health of Francesca’s grandmother, who is understood to have mobility issues following multiple hip and knee replacement surgeries, according to news.com.au.<\/p>\n

The granddaughter of late media mogul Kerry Packer has been in a relationship with the wellness CEO Robert, 46, since 2022.<\/p>\n

While the pair never publicly confirmed an engagement, Francesca hinted at it through a second Instagram account seemingly dedicated to a forthcoming marriage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She was following a page titled ‘Francesca & Robert’, complete with a ring emoji.<\/p>\n

‘We can’t wait to celebrate with you!’ the bio read.<\/p>\n

While some may have private concerns about the relationship between Robert and Francesca given his history of controversy, one family friend spoke positively about the couple.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘[Francesca] is really kind and giving and I know that if she’s engaged to this man, then she sees the good in him,’ the well-placed source told the Daily Mail.<\/p>\n

\"Pictured, <\/p>\n

Pictured, a bar space set up inside the former military fortress<\/p>\n

\"Golf <\/p>\n

Golf buggies were seen ready to transport staff or guests<\/p>\n

‘I wish her all the happiness. She’s a very smart, intelligent woman. I think that if she’s made that decision, she deserves love and everyone should let her get on with it.<\/p>\n

‘At the end of the day, whose right is it to comment on who she chooses to spend the rest of her life with?<\/p>\n

‘Just because she’s a billionaire doesn’t mean she owes anyone anything. She deserves happiness just like the rest of us.’<\/p>\n

Francesca and Robert were first spotted together when he attended her 28th birthday party in November 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Francesca Packer has married her partner Robert Bates in an exclusive ceremony in Mallorca – with the bride…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[85,557,156,248205,111,139,69,1766],"class_list":["post-556169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-australia","tag-dailymail","tag-entertainment","tag-james-packer","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tvshowbiz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}