The wife of millionaire luxury hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, Lady Olga Forte, has been banned from driving after being caught speeding in her Audi A6. She received the driving ban following a court ruling, which also included a fine and points on her driving record. This decision reflects a serious approach to traffic violations, regardless of the individual’s social status.
Lady Aliai Forte, wife of millionaire luxury hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, has been handed a six-month driving ban for her latest speeding offence. The 59-year-old was recorded driving her black Audi A6 at 50mph in a 40mph zone. With the additional three penalty points, her total reached 12, resulting in an automatic ban.
Italian-born Lady Aliai Forte, who resides at 21 Cheyne Gardens, Chelsea, and married Sir Rocco Forte in 1986, appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court. She admitted to speeding on the A3 Kingston Road near Tibbet’s Corner roundabout in Putney at 9:20 a.m. on January 9.
The court was informed that Lady Aliai Forte had previous speeding convictions on March 8, 2022, and January 29, this year, as well as a conviction for using her mobile phone while driving on December 21, 2023. She had also faced a six-month driving disqualification in 2020.
In court, Lady Forte expressed her frustration, saying, “It is a terrible thing for me to be disqualified from driving. It causes me huge problems in my life.” She particularly resented the points she received for using her phone, stating, “I got points for an offence I don’t think I committed, talking on the phone. The phone was on my lap and six points is ridiculous.”
She defended her actions, saying, “I work really, really hard and do a lot of charity work. I lose my driving licence for this? Doing fifty in a forty? I am always doing things, I am always in a rush. Maybe I was distracted by the change of the speed limit. I am very sorry and I apologise, I don’t want to break the law.”
In court, Lady Aliai Forte explained how losing her driving licence would severely affect her life, stating, “I am organising a big charity event for the London Symphony Orchestra and I am running an estate in Surrey.” She apologized for her actions, acknowledging, “I do not want to break the law, but losing my driving licence creates a lot of problems for me. I am a very safe driver and I have never had an accident in my life.”
Despite her concerns, Lady Forte did not complete a financial means form to calculate her fine, simply stating she had “sufficient funds” to pay any amount. It was noted that the Forte family is believed to be worth over a quarter of a billion pounds. When asked about her finances, she said, “My husband pays all the household expenses so you can call me a housewife.”
Before leaving, Lady Forte made a cheeky request to the magistrates, asking if they could reduce the driving ban from six months to three, saying, “Is it possible to do three months instead of six? It causes great difficulty.” However, the standard statutory disqualification remained in place.
Bench Chairman Timothy Keay addressed Lady Aliai Forte, stating, “You pleaded guilty to speeding at 50mph in a 40mph zone. This adds three penalty points to your licence and leaves you liable to further penalty.” He noted her “extremely poor driving record,” emphasizing that the points system is intended to penalize repeat offenders.
Mr. Keay remarked, “You are obviously a woman of more substantial means,” before fining her £666, plus £100 in costs and a £266 victim surcharge. When Lady Forte explained that her car and credit cards had been stolen, Mr. Keay responded, “Your driving licence is no longer valid anyway.”
Lady Aliai Forte, the daughter of Rome neurologist Professor Giovanni Ricci, is married to Sir Rocco Giovanni Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels. They wed in February 1986 at the Aracoeli church in Rome when Lady Forte was 21. Sir Rocco succeeded his father, Charles Forte, as CEO of the Forte Group in 1992.
The Forte Group faced a hostile takeover by Granada in 1995, resulting in a £3.87 billion deal that left the Forte family with around £350 million. The family regained the use of the Forte trademark in 2001.
Sir Rocco established his own chain of hotels in 1996, initially named RF Hotels, which was later rebranded to The Rocco Forte Collection. The collection includes the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London, purchased for £51.5 million. Currently, The Rocco Forte Collection operates 12 hotels across Europe and Russia, with plans to open new properties in Sardinia, Milan, and Naples.
