All hail Lord Cameron of ‘Chipping Snorton’
FOR years he was a mainstay of the ‘Chipping Norton set’ – a chummy group of headline-grabbing heavyweights hailing from the Cotswolds.
And it appears those years are not quite behind David Cameron as he will now be known by his new title, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton.
In a surprise return to frontline politics, the former prime minister was this week elevated to the House of Lords after being appointed Foreign Secretary by Rishi Sunak. And yesterday a Lords spokesman confirmed his full title will be ‘The Rt Hon. the Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton’.
Lord Cameron has long held ties to the market town, which nestles in the picturesque hills of Oxfordshire and within his former constituency of Witney.
Its many notable residents included
Celebrity-filled members’ club
News UK chief Rebekah Brooks, former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson and Blur bassist Alex James, integral members of the Chipping Norton set.
The parties thrown by the area’s elite residents have led some to dub it ‘Chipping Snorton’ thanks to the presence of certain narcotics.
One of the most high-profile gatherings of the Chipping Norton set was the 2009 wedding reception of Rebekah and Charlie Brooks. Socialite and racehorse trainer Mr Brooks hosted the lakeside celebration at his family estate with a star-studded guestlist.
Attendees included Lord Cameron and then prime minister Gordon Brown. They were joined by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone and Dow Jones chief executive Les Hinton.
More recent additions to the set have included David and Victoria Beckham, who in 2016 bought a £5million barn conversion in the Cotswolds.
The Beckhams’ nine-bedroom mansion is near to both Chipping Norton and Soho Farmhouse – the celebrity-filled members’ club whose opening party in 2016 was attended by David and Samantha Cameron.
Last night Israel announced Lord Cameron is to visit the country next week. On Monday he will take the oath of allegiance to the Crown, wearing the traditional red robes.