Alastair Barclay named as the "favourite child"

Tuesday 07 May 2024

The youngest brother and nephew in the Barclays dynasty is the one to watch when it comes to seeing how the relationship between the Brecqhou residents and Sark unfolds over the coming years, says a financial journalist who has spent years researching the family's business and personal interests.

Alastair Barclay is the youngest son of Sir David, and the only child from his second marriage to Reyna.

Sir David, who died in 2021, was previously married to Zoe, the mother of his three elder sons; Aidan, Howard, and Duncan. 

Sir Frederick Barclay has one stepson and one daughter from his marriage to Lady Hiroko Barclay. Their marriage ended in divorce and the ongoing saga over his non-payment of her settlement has seen the octogenarian threatened with prison sentences. 

Pictured: The youngest member of the Barclay brothers' children is said to be the only one with any interest in Brecqhou and Sark.

On Saturday, a sold out crowd at St Pierre Park Hotel heard from Jane Martinson who was speaking at the Guernsey Literary Festival about her book: '‘You May Never See Us Again - The Barclay Dynasty, A Story of Survival, Secrecy and Succession’.

She has traced the twin brothers' story back to their childhood and has unpicked their rise to riches, with key moments in their shared career examined. 

The story gains local prominence when it reaches 1993. That's when the brothers bought Brecqhou - seemingly without knowing that the island is owned by Sark, and that they would therefore be ruled by the Seigneur.

Jane revealed to the audience how Sir David had tried to buy the Seigneur's title for £3million. Sir Michael Beaumont refused to sell and his son, Major Christopher Beaumont later succeeded him as Seigneur. 

Despite railing against feudalism and the way Sark was governed, Jane says there are letters where David Barclay tried to buy the Seigneurieship for £3m! #GsyLitFest pic.twitter.com/nTTXbgbxPT

— Guernsey Lit Fest (@GuernseyLitFest) May 4, 2024

While the relationship between Sark residents and the Barclay brothers has been well documented, what has been less clear recently is how the relationship stands today.

Sir David has died, Sir Frederick is not known to have set foot in the Channel Islands for a number of years, and some of the Barclays' former business interests in Sark have reopened having been mothballed for a decade or more. Others have been sold or are available to buy. 

Jane said the possibility of a more harmonious relationship between Sark and the Brecqhou owners is down to Alastair, who is reportedly the only member of the family with any interest in either island. She also described Alastair as the "favourite child" and said his relationship with his brothers is strained. 

"What's happened is Christopher Beaumont since coming in as Seigneur, has got completely different ideas than I understand it from his father. And there's been a sort of new influx of people from Europe, like Sven Lorenz, who've been trying to get the property company together to buy the assets owned by or run by the Barclay family.

"I think there's been much more of an attempt to do business deals with them. It's a very different relationship there."

Pictured: Jane Martinson in conversation with Gerry Foley. 

Jane Martinson was speaking as part of the 2024 Guernsey Literary Festival.

Her conversation with Gerry Foley was held at St Pierre Park Hotel before a sell out crowd.