Made In Chelsea’s Sam and Alice Vanderpump welcome first little one as they reveal child boy’s uncommon title – months after TV star was recognized with end-stage liver illness

Sam Vanderpump and his wife Alice have welcomed their first child. 

The Made In Chelsea star, 28, and the model, 24, told Hello! on Wednesday that they have named their son Marmaduke and plan to call him Duke for short.

Marmaduke was a favourite name of Sam’s late father, Mark, who died in 2018 at the age of 59.

Alice gave birth at the Kensington Wing of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Monday, 9 February. 

Sam and Alice married in an intimate ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office just before Christmas. 

Their wedding came after a hugely difficult period, during which he became seriously ill with flu in late 2024, developing sepsis and suffering liver and kidney failure.

Made In Chelsea’s Sam and Alice Vanderpump have welcomed their first child – a baby boy called Marmaduke (pictured while announcing their pregnancy in September) 

The TV personality was later diagnosed with irreversible end-stage liver disease and is now on the transplant waiting list.

In spite of the uncertainty, Sam and Alice chose to prioritise love and decided to marry while he was well enough, ahead of welcoming their baby boy. 

Opening up in an interview, as the couple shared new photos of their big day, Sam admitted the emotional strain of the past year weighed heavily on him.

He told HELLO! Magazine: ‘I was struggling emotionally in the weeks leading up to the wedding because of everything going on with my health. But I have been so over the moon happy these past few days.’

The wedding was arranged within four weeks and was followed by a dinner at The Lanesborough.

The couple opted for a low-key approach, choosing Alice’s dress together and deciding against traditional elements such as a first dance and extended speeches.

The newlyweds plan to host a larger celebration in May 2027, after welcoming their son. 

Sam popped the question to Alice in March, after he was hospitalised in January with liver and kidney failure that developed into life-threatening sepsis. 

The couple married in an intimate ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office just before Christmas, ahead of the birth of their son

The couple’s wedding came after a hugely difficult period, during which Sam became seriously ill with flu in late 2024, developing sepsis and suffering liver and kidney failure

He was born with the rare conditions congenital hepatic fibrosis of the liver and polycystic kidney disease, but they lay dormant until last December, when his organs began shutting down.

In an episode of the We Need To Talk podcast with Paul C Brunson, Sam described how he later discovered the devastating truth behind his symptoms, soon after learning Alice was pregnant.

The star candidly revealed how he feared he would die before getting to meet his son after first being told he needed a liver transplant to save his life.

Sam, whose father passed away seven years ago, went on to explain how his thoughts went straight to his unborn child, saying: ‘I always get sad when I think my dad’s never going to see his grandchild.

‘To now start having that thing dawned on you. Am I going to see my child? That’s terrifying.’ 

An original cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and now star of her own show, Vanderpump Rules, Lisa, 65, was the sister of Sam’s father, businessman and DJ Mark Vanderpump.

Sam popped the question to Alice in March, after he was hospitalised in January with liver and kidney failure that developed into life-threatening sepsis 

Sam and Alice announced they were expecting a baby boy in September, due on Valentine’s Day, with the couple already having picked out his name, that has huge significance to his family.

Sam said: ‘We have a name, it’s Marmaduke. My dad is no longer with us, but he always wanted to call my brother “Duke” because he believed my brother would one day become Prime Minister, Duke Vanderpump.

‘I really love the name. My mum didn’t like it, so my brother was named Jack. My dad still had the last laugh by giving him the middle name Daniels.

‘I think Marmaduke is fantastic, and we’ll call him Duke for short. There’s a great Downton Abbey scene where Maggie Smith and her daughter discuss a man named Marmaduke, which made us love it even more.’