Call of the sea means a solo first Christmas for marquis’s new wife
FOR newlyweds, the first Christmas of married life is a chance to establish family traditions that can define the festive period for years to come.
However, the former Camilla Thorp will be hoping her first Christmas as Marchioness of Blandford will not be a blueprint for the future.
Her husband George, the heir to Blenheim Palace and future Duke of Marlborough, will leave her behind as he sets out on a 3,000-mile transatlantic rowing race to raise money for Starlight Children’s Foundation.
“The wife is not that pleased I’m not there for Christmas, but she’s quite supportive,” Lord Blandford, 26, told The Sunday Telegraph.
His training was disrupted in September when he married his childhood sweetheart. He said: “There were a few weeks in September when my training wasn’t really going on, but I got back on it.”
On Wednesday, Lord Blandford’s team will join 27 other boats setting off from La Gomera in the Canaries for the Caribbean island of Antigua in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
The inspiration to take part came to Lord Blandford two years ago when he saw the race in a book of the world’s toughest endurance challenges. He said: “I’m at an age where there aren’t many more opportunities like this that I will come across, so when I had the idea to do it, I wanted to get on with it.”
His four-man crew – under the name Oar Inspiring – is completed by his wife’s cousins Caspar and Toby Thorp, and Justin Eveleigh.
“We’re going to try to win but we certainly want to be in the top 10 per cent,” Lord Blandford said. “Our moti- vation is the quicker we get there, the longer we have in Antigua.”
Once their boat docks, it will be time for Lord Blandford to pick up marital responsibilities again with his wife, who will have to content herself with a call from the boat on Christmas Day.
“We had a 10-day honeymoon, but I’ve promised her that we’ll do an extended stay in Antigua afterwards,” Lord Blandford said.