Petra Ecclestone had been due marry Sam Palmer in three weeks’ time in Mexico
Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone has sensationally postponed her fairytale wedding – just weeks before she was due to walk down the aisle.
The billionaire daughter of Bernie Ecclestone had booked the entire five star Four Seasons hotel on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula to wed her salesman boyfriend Sam Palmer.
Petra, 30, was due to say ‘I do’ during the celebration that was supposed to last ‘several days’ – beginning on August 10 in Los Cabos which overlooks the Sea of Cortez.
While the reason for her decision is not known, it is understood that some of Petra’s relatives have cautioned about moving to quickly to marry Palmer, whom she met little over 18 months ago.
The bill for the lavish party at the five star hotel was set to run into several million – estimates to cost £15 million. There was a budget of £5million for the music acts alone.
However, despite planning her big day since Palmer, who hails from Harlow in Essex, proposed in at the end of last year, Petra has scrapped her plans.
The Four Season Los Cabos, Mexico, had been entirely hired by Petra for around £10 million
Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone has sold the largest home in Los Angeles for a record-breaking £95 million earlier this month
Located in Holmby Hills the sprawling 56,500-square-foot chateau has become the most expensive home ever sold in LA County
Despite a spokesman for Petra insisting the wedding was going ahead on Saturday, she has now confirmed that the booking has been cancelled, though claims the wedding will go ahead at some point.
A source said: ‘It was all due to go ahead, it was going to be the wedding of dreams. The dress had been made, the guest list finalised and the entire of the Four Seasons hotel was booked out.
Petra Ecclestone with her ex-husband James Stunt in 2013
‘Then suddenly, it was all called off. The bill for that alone will run into millions.’
While Petra’s team say she and Palmer, 33, are still in a relationship, friends say that perhaps she has decided to slow things down after her acrimonious divorce from James Stunt, the father of her three children who she married in a £12million Italian ceremony back in 2011.
They had the Black Eyes Peas and Alicia Keys to perform, as well as top DJ David Guetta.
She and Palmer were introduced through sister Tamara’s husband Jay Rutland in Los Angeles in 2017.
Following her divorce from Stunt, Petra and Palmer left London to move to Petra’s 123-room LA mansion, which she bought for £67.5 million in 2011.
Earlier this month she sold it for £95 million, and she and Palmer have downsized to an £18 million, eight-bedroom home in nearby Brentwood.
Another possible wedding location is Las Ventanas al Paraiso, which is located in San Jose del Cabo in Mexico, on the Baja California Peninsula
Las Ventanas al Paraiso is on the edge of the beach and there are multiple open air beds to spend the night in
Revealed: Heiress Petra Ecclestone’s ‘mystery man’ is a former used car salesman from Essex
ByPaul Thompson for MailOnline
Back in November 2017 MailOnline revealed the colourful past of Petra Eccelstone’s then mystery man.
Sam Palmer was photographed on November 2 2017 with 28-year-old Petra weeks after her acrimonious £5.5bn divorce from bullion dealer James Stunt.
Mr Palmer, 34, from Harlow, in Essex, is thought to have been introduced to the mother-of-three by his close friend Jay Rutland, the husband of Petra’s sister, Tamara.
Petra and her sister Tamara are close to their father, Bernie (pictured) who supported her throughout her difficult High Court divorce battle with former husband Stunt
He grew close to Petra and in October 2017 enjoyed a sunshine break to Dubai with Petra her sister Tamara and her husband.
Mr Palmer, an electrician turned car dealer, who also worked as a recruitment consultant in Australia, features extensively on businessman Mr Rutland’s Instagram.
The West Ham fan was pictured with his friend following a surfing lesson California, relaxing in a swimming pool in LA and boarding a private jet to Las Vegas to watch Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Conor McGregor.
Petra with James Stunt (pictured above) at the Grand Prix of Monaco during the Formula One World Championship in 2012
The men are believed to have been friends for a number of years. In May Tamara’s husband wished his ‘old pal’ a happy birthday with the message: ‘He may be a menace to society, but he is MY menace to society.’
Palmer and Rutland are believed to have been friends for a number of years. In May 2017 Tamara’s husband wished his ‘old pal’ a happy birthday with the message: ‘He may be a menace to society, but he is MY menace to society.’
Sam is believed to be close to his mother Sue Palmer, who owns a busy hair and beauty salon called The Stow in Harlow, Essex.
His sister Louise ran a nail bar in the town, which has now closed down.
Petra had only been seen in public a couple of times since her divorce with businessman Mr Stunt was finalised in a five-minute court hearing in October 2017.
The couple, who have three children together, had been back and forth to court as they geared up for a bitter fight over their estimated £5.5billion fortune.
But when they came before a judge it emerged they had agreed what will be one of Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlements.
At the heated court hearing, a judge heard how Mr Stunt had been abusive, violent and took overdoses during his marriage to the glamorous heiress.
Mr Stunt, who runs an international gold bullion firm, assets were also said to include a wine collection worth up to £15million and two Chelsea properties worth up to £4million each, a previous hearing was told.
The couple are believed to have first met on a blind date in 2006. They married six years ago at a multi-million-pound ceremony at Odescalchi Castle, Rome, when they and 350 guests were entertained by an array of pop stars. They have three children together, aged between four and two.