Made In Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump and his wife Alice Vanderpump have welcomed their first child — a baby boy — in an emotional milestone that comes just months after Sam was diagnosed with irreversible end-stage liver disease.
The couple revealed to HELLO! on Wednesday that they have named their son Marmaduke, affectionately calling him Duke for short — a name filled with deep family meaning.
Marmaduke was a favourite name of Sam’s late father, Mark, who tragically passed away in 2018 at the age of 59.
Alice gave birth at the Kensington Wing of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Monday, 9 February, just weeks after the couple quietly tied the knot.
Sam, 28, and Alice, 24, married in an intimate ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office shortly before Christmas — choosing to prioritise love and commitment during one of the most frightening periods of their lives.
Their wedding followed an extraordinary health ordeal. In late 2024, Sam fell seriously ill with flu before rapidly developing sepsis, liver failure and kidney failure. He was later diagnosed with irreversible end-stage liver disease and is now on the transplant waiting list.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his condition, the couple made the emotional decision to marry while Sam was well enough — ahead of welcoming their first child.
Opening up about the emotional toll of the past year, Sam admitted the weeks leading up to the wedding were incredibly difficult.
Speaking to HELLO! magazine as the couple shared new photos from their big day, he said:
“I was struggling emotionally in the weeks leading up to the wedding because of everything going on with my health. But I’ve been so over-the-moon happy these past few days.”
The wedding was organised in just four weeks and followed by a private dinner at The Lanesborough. Keeping things low-key, the couple chose Alice’s dress together and skipped traditional elements such as a first dance and long speeches.
They now plan to host a larger celebration in May 2027, once life has settled after welcoming their son.
Sam proposed to Alice in March, shortly after being hospitalised in January with liver and kidney failure that escalated into life-threatening sepsis.
He was born with rare conditions — congenital hepatic fibrosis of the liver and polycystic kidney disease — which remained dormant until last December, when his organs began to fail.
In an episode of the We Need To Talk podcast with Paul C Brunson, Sam candidly described learning the devastating truth behind his symptoms just after discovering Alice was pregnant.
The reality hit hard.
Sam admitted he feared he might die before ever meeting his son, after being told he would need a liver transplant to survive.
Reflecting on the loss of his father seven years ago, Sam revealed how his thoughts immediately turned to his unborn child.
“I always get sad thinking my dad will never see his grandchild,” he said.
“And then suddenly you’re asking yourself — am I going to see my child? That’s terrifying.”
Sam is the nephew of Lisa Vanderpump, whose brother Mark — a businessman and DJ — was Sam’s father.
The couple announced Alice’s pregnancy in September, revealing they were expecting a baby boy due on Valentine’s Day. They had already chosen his name — one that carried huge personal significance.
Explaining the choice, Sam said:
“We have a name — it’s Marmaduke. My dad always wanted to call my brother ‘Duke’ because he believed he’d one day be Prime Minister — Duke Vanderpump.
“My mum hated it, so my brother was named Jack. But my dad still had the last laugh by giving him the middle name Daniels.”
“I think Marmaduke is fantastic. We’ll call him Duke for short. There’s even a Downton Abbey scene where Maggie Smith discusses a man named Marmaduke — that sealed it for us.”
For Sam and Alice, the arrival of baby Duke marks not just a new chapter — but a powerful moment of hope after months of fear, uncertainty and unimaginable emotional strain.
