The countdown is on for Francesca Packer-Barham’s wedding to Robert Bates, which is set to take place tomorrow at the private Packer estate in the Upper Hunter Valley.
With Packer-Barham’s colourful dating history and Bates’ chequered past in business, one well-placed insider joked to the Daily Mail this week that the pair are made for each other.
‘Their lives are both pretty dramatic, so they’re probably the perfect match,’ they said.
But not everyone in the gossipy eastern suburbs set is so blasé.
It’s not exactly a secret that eyebrows have been raised over the pairing of Bates – whose buzzy wellness start-ups went kaput after briefly propelling him onto the rich list – with the heiress to a vast family fortune.
But despite the chatter about their imminent union, Packer-Barham, 31, appeared to be over the moon in the Daily Mail’s exclusive photos of her luxury shopping trip with 46-year-old Bates on Sunday.
The countdown is on for Francesca Packer-Barham’s wedding to Robert Bates, which is set to take place tomorrow at the private Packer estate in the Upper Hunter Valley
With Packer-Barham’s colourful dating history and Bates’ chequered past in business, one well-placed insider joked to the Daily Mail this week that the pair are made for each other
‘Their lives are both pretty dramatic, so they’re probably the perfect match,’ an insider said
The couple, joined by Packer-Barham’s close friend Liz, were seen visiting the Chanel boutique in Bondi, while Bates dutifully carried armfuls of designer shopping bags.
Packer-Barham opted for a black bodysuit and a light-wash denim jacket by Amiri.
She accessorised with Christian Louboutin suede cowboy boots, which retail at $3,565, and a pair of oversized sunglasses.
The socialite finished her look with a Christian Dior tweed handbag worth up to $5,500.
However, the most eye-catching part of her appearance on Sunday’s shopping trip was the massive diamond engagement ring sparkling on her finger.
The rock looked strikingly similar to the 17.34-carat diamond ring Packer-Barham reportedly purchased for $575,000 at auction house Leonard Joel in 2020.
It’s an interesting detail considering that Bates made headlines in 2023 when he attempted to buy his girlfriend a diamond ring from controversial figure Mark Judge.
Judge, the sort of man often described as a ‘colourful identity’, is a former Sydney bikie associate – and is counted among Packer-Barham’s circle of friends.
Should friends and family judge Francesca Packer’s choice of partner based on his controversial past?
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Despite the chatter about their union, Packer-Barham appeared to be over the moon as she stepped out with Bates and a friend (left) at a Chanel boutique in Bondi on Sunday
The billionaire heiress was all smiles as she caught up with her close friend, Liz, while Bates dutifully carried the Chanel shopping bags
The sale collapsed when Bates was unable to pay the balance owed to Judge’s jewellery wholesaler, Time Keeper Boutique.
Packer-Barham – the daughter of philanthropist Gretel Packer and British financier Nick Barham – is said to have contributed the deposit on the 11-carat diamond, but when Bates couldn’t settle the remainder, both the money and the ring were retained by Time Keeper.
Prior to her romance with Bates, Packer-Barham was linked to Sneaker Spa founder Sam Zacharia, the son of celebrity plastic surgeon Michael Zacharia; artist Joshua Mullane, who was famously friends with Silverchair rocker Daniel Johns during his wild years; and property developer Kelli Holland.
At one point during Sunday’s shopping trip, Packer-Barham was seen linking arms with her soon-to-be husband, although Bates maintained a stony expression during most of their outing.
The controversial wellness CEO, who was garbed in a navy shirt and blue jeans, did, however, crack a smile when his fiancée began laughing with her friend.
Their stop at the boutique has sparked rumours Packer-Barham may be a ‘Chanel bride’ when she walks down the aisle in July.
Bates’ last relationship was with his former business partner Emma Gibson. The pair, together for five years, split in early 2022 before he started seeing Packer-Barham.
At their peak, the entrepreneurial exes landed at number 36 on the Young Rich List in 2020 with a combined net worth of $145million.
But since then, Bates – a former Cranbrook School student, just like Packer-Barham’s uncle James – has become a divisive figure after the collapse of his wellness start-ups Aquamamma and Aurum+.
Packer-Barham opted for a black bodysuit and a light-wash denim jacket by Amiri
She accessorised with Christian Louboutin suede cowboy boots, which retail at $3,565, and a pair of oversized sunglasses
The socialite finished her look with a Christian Dior tweed handbag worth up to $5,500
Previous reports indicated that Packer-Barham had some esoteric touches planned for her big day, which is supposedly timed to coincide with the full moon in Spain.
However, it later emerged that the couple would be tying the knot closer to home.
Among the invited guests are Packer-Barham’s mother Gretel, grandmother Ros, and close friends Ian Stewart, Joshua Penn and Benjamin Palmer.
Kerry Packer’s granddaughter has been dating Bates since 2022.
While the notoriously private couple are yet to publicly confirm an engagement, Packer-Barham strongly hinted at it when she appeared to create an Instagram account dedicated to a forthcoming marriage.
She was previously following a page titled ‘Francesca & Robert’, complete with a ring emoji – but that account now appears to have been deleted.
‘We can’t wait to celebrate with you!’ the bio said before it was wiped.
Their stop at the boutique has sparked rumours Packer-Barham may be a ‘Chanel bride’ when she walks down the aisle in July
On Sunday’s shopping trip, Packer was seen sporting a massive diamond engagement ring
Bates was seen carrying his wife-to-be’s Chanel shopping bags as she chatted with a friend
Packer-Barham could be seen laughing with her friend, believed to be a woman named Liz
But while some may have private concerns about the engagement given Bates’ history of corporate controversy, one family friend is giving the couple the benefit of the doubt.
‘Francesca is really kind and giving and I know that if she’s engaged to this man, then she sees the good in him,’ a well-placed source previously told the Mail.
‘I wish her all the happiness. She’s a very smart, intelligent woman. I think that if she’s made that decision, she deserves love and everyone should let her get on with it.
‘At the end of the day, whose right is it to comment on who she chooses to spend the rest of her life with?
‘Just because she’s a billionaire doesn’t mean she owes anyone anything. She deserves happiness just like the rest of us.’
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