The London social scene is abuzz with news of a new society engagement, as Garrett Moore, the 39-year-old son of the 12th Earl of Drogheda, has announced his betrothal to Hope Chilton, the 25-year-old daughter of American investment titan Richard Lockwood Chilton Jr.
From Hollywood Headlines to a Society Match
This announcement marks a significant shift for Moore, who five years ago sent shockwaves through high society by becoming engaged to Hollywood actress Colleen Camp, then 69 and a star of films like Apocalypse Now. Their relationship, with a 33-year age gap, drew gleeful comparisons from Moore to the film The Graduate. That engagement, which Camp later described as "a joke that went too far," is believed to have ended in December 2020.
In contrast, his new match with Hope Chilton is being celebrated by both families. A friend told the Daily Mail: 'Garrett and Hope are a perfect match. She is warm, smart and unpretentious and they are incredibly happy together. Both families are delighted.' Hope's father, Richard Chilton Jr., 67, is a self-made financier with a personal fortune estimated at $1.3 billion, while Moore's father is the celebrated 88-year-old photographer Derry Moore, the Earl of Drogheda.
A Transatlantic Romance Forged in Exclusive Circles
The couple's worlds collided through the rarefied sphere of London and New York nightlife. Moore, through his company, stages immersive, theatrical parties for elite clients and brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton at venues such as 5 Hertford Street in Mayfair. Hope was hired by British impresario Robin Birley, a longstanding friend of Moore's father, to help run membership at his new New York club, Maxime's, on Madison Avenue.
Their transatlantic romance has quickly become the talk of both cities. While no wedding date is set, society watchers anticipate lavish, multi-location celebrations likely spanning London, New York, and the Chilton family's majestic UK estate, Crichel House. This 5,000-acre Palladian mansion in Dorset, purchased for £34 million in 2013, was once visited by George IV.
Legacies of Achievement and Extravagant Celebration
The engagement unites two formidable family legacies. Hope, who grew up in Darien, Connecticut, studied criminal science at the University of North Carolina. Her mother, Maureen, chairs the board of the New York Botanical Garden. Moore's father, the Earl, is an Eton and Cambridge-educated photographer with over 30 published books and portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, having photographed figures from Princess Diana to David Bowie.
Garrett Moore has carved his own unique niche as a master of immersive revelry, creating fantastical events complete with costumed performers and elaborate narratives for a clientele including Kate Moss and Harry Styles. One notable 2015 event for restaurant Sushisamba featured a mini Brazilian jungle and a performance by Grace Jones, watched by FKA Twigs and Robert Pattinson.
As London's party maestro settles into a new chapter, the focus shifts from past Hollywood scandals to a future likely filled with cross-Atlantic celebration, merging British aristocracy with American financial dynasty.
