22nd December 2000

Madonna and Guy Ritchie marry in Scotland

Singer Madonna, and film director Guy Ritchie, met in 1998 and married two years later at Skibo Castle.

The requirement for couples to give at least two weeks’ notice of their intention to marry meant it was impossible for them to keep the ceremony secret. Naturally, it attracted a lot of media interest. The Telegraph reported on 8 December 2000 that “Scottish authorities are warning that the expected aircraft and helicopters chartered by American TV networks will be banned from flying beneath 1500ft.”

“Most famous woman”

“The world’s most famous and most photographed woman managed to get through the big day with virtually no details of the event made public,” reported Rolling Stone on 27 December 2000. “Confirmation came on Saturday when Rev. Susan Brown, who performed the ceremony, told the hundreds of reporters who had descended on the Scottish town of Dornoch that the wedding ‘did happen’.”

Although there was speculation that Skibo Castle had been chosen because it would be easier to keep out unwanted visitors, The Telegraph outlined how Ritchie’s family had “connections with the Seaforth Highlanders, the local regiment in which [Guy’s father] served for eight years.”

Skibo Castle

Skibo Castle, located close to Dornoch, was once the home of Andrew Carnegie, who was born in Dunfermline in 1835, and emigrated to the United States, eventually becoming one of the richest people in the country. He donated around 90% of his wealth to good causes, and his name is now attached to a number of universities, libraries, museums and other institutions.

Following their wedding, Madonna and Ritchie set up home at Ashcombe House in Wiltshire. They divorced in 2008.