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Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch has taken fans by surprise by announcing his engagement in a delightfully old-fashioned and British way.
Eyebrows were raised when an engagement announcement was posted yesterday in the Births, Deaths and Marriages section of the UK’s Times newspaper, but at first nobody was sure that it was really the British Star of films like The Hobbit and The Fifth Estate.
Under “Forthcoming Marriages” in a boldly outlined box appeared the names: “MR B.T. CUMBERBATCH AND MISS S.I. HUNTER”
On page 57 of the paper, the full announcement read:
“The engagement is announced between Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch of London, and Sophie, daughter of Katharine Hunter of Edinburgh and Charles Hunter of London.”
Soon, fans began to put two and two together because Benedict’s middle name does begin with a T: Benedict Timothy Cumberbatch and his parents ARE named Timothy and Wanda – both also fellow British thespians.
Benedict’s engagement announcement in The Times.
What of the lovely lady though? Miss S.I. Hunter? No one seems to know exactly when Benedict, 38, first began dating award-winning theatre director Sophie Hunter, 36. Their relationship had mostly flown under the radar and the announcement is the first inkling that the pair were getting serious.
It’s believed that the couple first met in 2009 when they both starred together in arthouse film Burlesque Fairytales, and were spotted together in public for the first time at the French Open in June this year.
Not unlike the recently married Amal Clooney, who is the same age as her, Sophie seems to be remarkably accomplished. Oxford educated, she’s fluent in French and has several critically acclaimed plays under her belt including The Terrific Electric – which she wrote and directed and received the sought after Samuel Beckett award for in 2007. She’s even directed several operas, The Magic Flute – Mozart’s renowned work, and Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.
Benedict meanwhile has a huge female following, and has even been voted Britain’s sexiest man by British newspaper The Sun, so he has left thousands of female fans, who call themselves his “Cumberbitches” mourning the news. Many took to social media to voice their disappointment too.
Wishing the happy couple many congratulations on their exciting news!
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