Current Affairs

Kate Middleton visits hotel owned by stone-the-gays Sultan of Brunei

Jun 02 2014
Written by Scott Roberts

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

A beleaguered London hotel owned by the Sultan of Brunei has received a royal boost following a visit by the Duchess of Cambridge.

In April, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah gave approval to Brunei’s revised penal code, which urges death by stoning for same-sex sexual activity.

The Mail reports Kate Middleton is understood to have been a guest at a wedding held at The Dorchester, on Park Lane, last Friday.

The hotel, part of The Dorchester Collection, is facing a continued boycott by several celebrities because of its Brunei ownership.

A source said: “The wedding was a big boost for the hotel.

“It shows that the royals will not let the Brunei business keep them away.”

The wedding apparently took place in the hotel’s penthouse and pavilion and the Duchess is said to have been joined by her parents, Carole and Michael, brother James and sister Pippa.

Last month, the Chief Executive of the hotel group, Christopher Cowdray, stated his company’s commitment to equality and called on the boycott to end.

A string of celebrities, including Ellen Degeneres, Stephen Fry, Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson and Sharon Osbourne in April began a boycott campaign against The Dorchester Collection, famous for its Beverly Hills venue.

In the UK, the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) announced it will not stage its awards dinner at The Dorchester in London.

Gay rights charity Stonewall held its annual Equality Dinner there in April.

Last month, the charity attracted criticism for criticising the nature of the boycott, whilst failing to say if it would hold future events at the hotel.

Stonewall’s Acting Chief Executive Ruth Hunt confirmed three days later that it would no longer use The Dorchester Hotel for events.

Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Deben has called on all organisations to shun using the hotel.

US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour became the latest celebrity to join the campaign last week.

Meanwhile, Kings College London is under pressure to strip an honour given to the Sultan of Brunei.

The Sultan, whose family has governed Brunei for 600 years and whose fortune is estimated at $13 billion (£7.75 billion), also received an honorary knighthood from the Queen in 1992 and has been awarded a string of honours by British universities.