The recent marriage of baronet Sir William Jaffray, 74, to Gowri Siva, 60, has sparked a dispute involving allegations of manipulation and family estrangement. The ceremony took place in June at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where both were reportedly seated on Sir William’s hospital bed. The union, unusual in its circumstances, has drawn sharp criticism from one of Sir William’s relatives, who described the marriage as a “predatory” move and accused Lady Jaffray of orchestrating a “calculated heist” of a vulnerable man.

Sir William, an Old Etonian known for his legal advocacy on behalf of investors affected by significant losses in the 1990s London insurance market, has four children from two previous marriages. The family member claims that Lady Jaffray actively isolated Sir William from his relatives by restricting their access to his hospital ward, allegedly against his wishes. They also assert that when hospital staff declined to provide an official registrar for the wedding, Lady Jaffray arranged for an external registrar to conduct the ceremony discreetly on the Acute Assessment Unit. According to this account, the couple withheld news of the marriage from the family for a week specifically to prevent any legal challenge.

The family member further disputes Lady Jaffray’s reported plans for a honeymoon on the Orient Express, arguing that Sir William’s health has left him incapacitated and unable to travel for several years, calling the suggestion a “cruel distortion.”

Lady Jaffray, a former lawyer turned art specialist, has denied these claims. She stated that it is not possible to “smuggle in a registrar” given the formal protocols involved, noting that Sir William himself had formally communicated with both the hospital and the registrar expressing his “irrevocable wish” to marry her. Lady Jaffray emphasized that the decision to keep the marriage private was also Sir William’s own.

Regarding the reaction of Sir William’s eldest son, Nicholas, she said he and his wife have been supportive and that Nicholas recognizes her genuine feelings for his father.

The dispute underscores the tensions surrounding the marriage, juxtaposing concerns from family members with the couple’s insistence on the legitimacy and voluntariness of their union. As the situation unfolds, questions about Sir William’s capacity, family dynamics, and the legality of the ceremony remain at the forefront.