Annabel Croft beams with pride as her TV presenter daughter Lily Coleman marries Princess Diana’s relative in a lavish London wedding

DAILYMAIL.COM • 5h ago

By JULIET CONWAY 08:40 12 Oct 2026, updated 08:40 12 Oct 2026

Annabel Croft beamed with pride as her TV presenter daughter Lily Saffron Coleman married Felix McCorquodale, a relative of Princess Diana’s, in a lavish London wedding at the weekend.

The former British number one tennis player and Strictly Come Dancing star, 60, led the celebrations as Lily, 28, tied the knot with insurance executive Felix, 31, at St Mary’s Church, Battersea surrounded by family and friends.

The milestone comes just over three years after Annabel’s husband Mel Coleman, the bride’s father, died in May 2023, aged 60, after developing sepsis while battling advanced cancer.

The BBC’s Wimbledon pundit revealed last year that before his death, Mel had given Felix his blessing to marry Lily – something she only discovered years later.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘He gave permission to my youngest daughter Lily’s boyfriend. Felix told me… one of the things Mel said to him was, “You definitely have my permission to marry Lily.”‘

The wedding took place on Saturday, with the newlyweds emerging from their London ceremony by the River Thames to cheers and confetti from loved ones – as well as live bagpipes, in honour of Felix’s Scottish heritage.

Sharing photos of the celebrations on Instagram, Lily declared it the ‘best weekend ever’, while her older sister Amber described it as: ‘The happiest day!’

The bride – who moved into sports presenting after being a producer on reality TV shows including Love Island and Made in Chelsea – wore an elegant ivory wedding gown with a draped neckline, sheer sleeves and a sweeping train, carrying a bouquet of pink, purple and burgundy flowers.

Her new husband, who works for insurance giant Howden, opted for traditional morning dress, with a dark tailcoat, striped trousers, pale pink waistcoat and matching tie.

Felix is related to the late Raine Spencer, formerly Raine McCorquodale, who became Princess Diana’s stepmother when she married the princess’s father, John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, in 1976.

Raine, the daughter of the romantic novelist Barbara Cartland, was famously nicknamed ‘Acid Raine’ amid reports of a difficult relationship with Diana, although the pair became closer in later years.

After exchanging vows, the couple got into a vintage black convertible – decorated with a ‘Just Married’ banner, a sign reading ‘The McCorquodales’, and ribbons – to head to the reception.

Annabel looked glamorous on the day in a striking bronze-coloured patterned gown with flowing sleeves and a matching floral headpiece.

She joined the bride and groom for family photographs alongside her other children, Charlie Coleman, 29, and Amber Llewellyn, 32, and their respective partners.

Yoga instructor Amber, who attended with her financier husband, Hector Llewellyn, shared a photo of Annabel holding their 13-month-old son, Arlo.

She captioned the post: ‘Glamorous grannabel!’ in a nod to the affectionate nickname Annabel adopted after becoming a grandmother for the first time last year.

Her son Charlie and his wife, Boodles jewellery heiress Honour Wainwright, also brought their four-month-old daughter, Cosima.

The reception took place at Wild by Tart, the fashionable restaurant and events venue in Belgravia co-founded by Jemima Jones, the ex-model wife of environmentalist Ben Goldsmith.

Guests enjoyed a wedding breakfast at long banquet tables decorated with colourful flowers, candles and striped lamps, with personalised menus and place settings.

A rectangular wedding cake was decorated with flowers and fruit, while the celebrations continued into the evening with dancing beneath a glittering disco ball.

Lily changed out of her traditional gown into a short white feathered dress, teamed with bright pink platform heels, for the evening party.

The bride and groom announced their engagement in September last year, just weeks after Lily’s brother Charlie married Honour at her family’s Hampshire home.

Annabel welcomed the engagement at the time, declaring: ‘The most wonderful news and makes me so happy.’

The wedding comes after a momentous period for Annabel, who has spoken openly about the devastating grief she endured following Mel’s death.

The couple met in 1987 when Mel, a former international yachtsman and investment banker, taught Annabel to sail for a television programme.

Mel died just weeks before their 30th wedding anniversary, after cancer spread from his colon to other organs.

Annabel later revealed that sepsis, caused by a perforated tumour, was the immediate cause of his death.

Just months later, she signed up for the 2023 series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with then-professional dancer Johannes Radebe and reached the semi-finals.

Annabel has credited the BBC show with helping her cope with the loss of her husband, admitting she struggled with the prospect of returning to their empty family home.

Reflecting on the experience, she explained that having something positive to focus on had been ‘an incredibly healing process’.

She added: ‘I’m not sure how I would have got through that winter without it, to be honest.’

Annabel has since welcomed two grandchildren, with both their names paying tribute to family members.

Amber’s son Arlo was given the middle name Melvyn in honour of his late grandfather, while Charlie’s daughter Cosima Elizabeth Annabel was named after her two grandmothers.

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