Sitwells offer food for thought as they sell 300-year- old, £5m family seat
The Sitwells were once among the most celebrated of society families, inspiring the quip that they belonged to ‘the history of publicity’.
But things are much less rosy for the current generation — MasterChef critic William Sitwell and his brother, baronet and film producer Sir George.
They have, I can disclose, decided to sell Weston hall, the £5 million Northamptonshire pile which has been in the family for 300 years and boasts at least 11 bedrooms.
‘S**t happens,’ William, 50, tells me, declining to elaborate on the sale of the property, which is held in a family trust.
A former editor of Waitrose Food magazine, William used to host monthly supper clubs at Weston hall and is thought to be reluctant to sell.
Four years ago, he ditched his first wife, society girl Laura McCorquodale, by whom he had two children, in favour of the late Lord Roborough’s daughter, emily Lopes, and took refuge at Weston. he and emily married in 2017.
George used to live at Weston with Martha de Blank, daughter of late gastronome Justin de Blank, after marrying her in 2007. But Martha was unhappy, and walked out five years later, having declared marriage ‘pure misery’. She added: ‘It sucks all the energy from you, sucks your youth and all the fun from your life.’
George, 52, has resisted remarriage and is in a relationship with ‘ on- off ’ girlfriend Wenny Wenn. he currently lives in London. ‘Weston is a big, draughty house with a bit of history but is expensive to run,’ says a friend.
In the family’s heyday in the Twenties and Thirties, Brideshead author evelyn Waugh, Noel Coward and society photographer Cecil Beaton regularly stayed.