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Benedict Cumberbatch’s approving in-laws


Benedict Cumberbatch’s future in-laws are "very happy" about his engagement to Sophie Hunter.

The ‘Imitation Game’ star announced his plans to marry his actress girlfriend yesterday (05.11.14) by posting a £270, plus VAT, notice in The Times newspaper, and the 36-year-old beauty’s mother Katharine is overjoyed at the news.

She said: "We are very happy for them. It’s a really fabulous day.

"It’s only just been announced so we don’t know any more but it’s lovely news."

The 38-year-old actor looks to be a sure-fire hit with Sophie’s family as her younger brother Patrick, 30, also admitted he approves of the pair’s marriage plans.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We’re all very happy for Soph – it’s really exciting."

Benedict and Sophie’s engagement, which appeared in the Births, Marriages and Deaths section of the broadsheet, 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."

It is not yet known when the couple – who first met when starring opposite one another in 2009’s ‘Burlesque Fairytales’ – will walk down the aisle, but just last year the ‘Sherlock’ star insisted he was in no rush to tie the knot.

He said: "It’s a wonderful thing to get married young and become a father.

"I used to think that I’d get married by my mid-thirties and have children.

"But now I think I can wait. I’m no longer in a hurry to get married."

The couple were first romantically linked in June when they were seen watching tennis together, and they were last spotted out and about at London restaurant Quaglino’s but arrived separately and were keen not to be pictured together.