Minggu, 27 Mei 2012

Cameron and Hunt attend aristocrat's posh wedding as Minister's career is on the line

Cameron and Hunt attend aristocrat's posh wedding as Minister's career is on the line

  • Defining moment in Culture Secretary's career as he faces Leveson grilling into his handling of BSkyB bid
  • Jeremy Hunt could be forced out of his job if further damaging revelations emerge
  • Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron both attended Oxfordshire wedding of Henry Allsopp and fiancee Naomi Gunner

By Tom Goodenough

PUBLISHED: 06:15 EST, 27 May 2012 | UPDATED: 09:08 EST, 27 May 2012

Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron appeared at an aristocrat's wedding yesterday as the Culture Secretary's career hangs in the balance.

The Prime Minister's wife was wearing a dazzling summer dress for the scorching Oxfordshire ceremony.

Henry Allsopp, 38, heir to the 6th Baron Hindlip, wed fiancee Naomi Gunner, 27, at the wedding in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.

David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive for the wedding with their 21-month-old daughter Florence wearing a red and white spotty dress

David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive for the wedding with their 21-month-old daughter Florence who was wearing a red and white spotty dress

Jeremy Hunt attended alongside his wife and children just days before he faces a grilling by Lord Justice Leveson at the Inquiry into media standards.

Mr Hunt is likely to face further taxing questions over his handling of News Corporation's bid for BSkyB when he appears before the judge at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday.

For now, however, he continues to retain the backing of the Prime Minister - branded 'Chilax Dave' after attracting criticism for his own 'chillaxing' following claims in a biography that he spends weekends at Chequers singing karaoke, playing tennis against a machine dubbed ‘The Clegger’ and downing several glasses of wine with lunch.

Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha, also attended the ceremony with their 21-month-old daughter Florence, in what looks set to be a testing week for the relationship between the Prime Minister and his Culture Secretary.

Jeremy Hunt, who is preparing for a difficult week, pictured with his family at the wedding ceremony in Oxfordshire yesterday

Jeremy Hunt, who is preparing for a difficult week, pictured with his family at the wedding ceremony in Oxfordshire yesterday

Both men were pictured with their families at the marriage ceremony in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.

Despite the public show of unity between the men, however, it is believed the Prime Minister is preparing contingency plans for Mr Hunt leaving the cabinet.

It is thought the Culture Secretary could take time out from his role in the autumn after it emerged his department is in a state of paralysis following the revelations at the Leveson Inquiry.

A senior Government source, speaking to the Sunday Telegr aph, said the Department was 'barely functioning':

'The DCMS is in a state of suspended animation at the moment and this obviously has an effect on the Olympics.

Naomi Gummer and Henry Allsopp pictured at their wedding ceremony in Chadlington, Oxfordshire

Naomi Gummer and Henry Allsopp pictured at their wedding ceremony in Chadlington, Oxfordshire

'I think Jeremy could well decide to take some time out after the Games.

'He would say he has done nothing wrong and has nothing to hide, but he needs to recharge his batteries for a while.'

The Prime Minister, who has also been damaged by the revelations, is likely to be tested further by Hunt's evidence at the Inquiry this Thursday.

It is expected that Mr Hunt's argument that he acted properly in his quasi-judicial role overseeing the News Corp bid will come under intense questioning.

For now, however, Mr Hunt looked relaxed as he was pictured at the wedding with his family.

A number of other high-profile guests, including the Duchess of Cornwall, who is Henry's godmother, were also at the Oxfordshire ceremony.

David Cameron Duchess of Cornwall

High profile: David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive for the wedding and the Duchess of Cambridge also arrives in a white dress covered in butterflies. She is Henry's godmother

Camilla, who was not accompanied by the Prince at Wales, wore a white summer dress with matching headwear to the wedding.

Art dealer Allsopp, who is the brother of TV presenter, Kirstie, was previously in a relationship with the widow of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain.

Allsop and Gummer, the daughter of Tory peer Lord Chadlington, announced their engagement last December.

The pair had grown up in the same street in Kensington, west London but only met four years ago on a Caribbean island, before starting dating each other last summer.< /p> Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, who was wearing a summery Peter Pilotto dress

Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, who was wearing a summery Peter Pilotto dress

The Duchess of Cornwall, pictured wearing a butterfly-pattern summer gown, was also in attendance

The Duchess of Cornwall, pictured wearing a butterfly-pattern summer gown, was also in attendance

One guest at the wedding ceremony, which took place in brilliant sunshine, described the pair as 'blissfully happy'.

At the high-society wedding, nearly every male guest - including the beleaguered Culture Secretary - chose to wear the traditional morning dress, making David Cameron's decision to wear a lounge suit all the more surprising.

Samantha Cameron appeared to also upstage her husband by appearing in a bright summery Peter Pilotto dress at the Oxfordshire ceremony.

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Can't believe these out of touch born-to-rule upper class toffs are running our country in the 21st Century.

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Can anyone p lwaease tell me why J. Hunt has always got that inane grin on his fasce? Everytime he has his picutre took or the TV Cameras areon him, Roll on next week to the Levison Enquiry I bet he will not being grinning then! It is like a gripping soap opera and I can not wait to see Hunt swirm under the strutiny of Mr. Jay, (what a chap!!!).

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Hunt looks ridiculous - wearing morning dress and carrying a nappy bag! The caring new man look doesn't work - but at least he is complying with the dress code, unlike Call Me Dave.

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i do hope that the men standing behind camilla are not tax payer funded police officers!

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Who cares about any of these people, if any of them loose there jobs they still live in disgusting wealth and thats all that matters.The only way they can earn respect is to end up in real poverty when loosing there jobs like the working classes are EXPECTED TO

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Yep, we're definitely all in this together.

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Camillas shoes????!!!!! An old pair!!!!!!!!!!

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Whats the point of blanking out the children's faces they are all over the net from other newspapers, At least the weather was nice for them, shame about attire Mr Cameron. RR

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wouldn't you think Tory PR people would advise Hunt to get rid of that inane grin every time the press photograph hime - it really is totally inappropriate (but in keeping with the mentality of the rest of this government) - I say again - if they had 'proper' jobs they would have been sacked and imprisoned by now

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Hopefully this indicates an end to those endless boring strapless numbers.

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