Benedict Cumberbatch has just made his engagement public. It is exhilarating how a piece of news about the personal life of an appreciated actor can trigger such ambivalent reactions all around the fan world. Benedict Cumberbatch – or should I call him Sherlock – has officially resigned from his position as one of the most haunted bachelors. The British actor has announced the engagement with his partner in an uncommon way for the contemporary highly industrialized life-style: by posting a tiny little ad in the Forthcoming Marriages section of The Times newspaper.
The announcement informs: ‘’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”. Such a personal display of news is much appreciated. The classy gesture of Benedict Cumberbatch proves that he truly pertains to London high-life and that he is aware of his Old English heritage. It is by now a widely shared opinion that his post brings back something of a Jane Austin novel, although marriage leaves aside both pride and prejudice… or at least it should. The educational background of the actor sustains such gestures – he has, of course, attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, but a small number of people know that he was also trained in oil painting and even a smaller amount that ‘’he took a year off to teach English in a Tibetan monastery’’.
The question still remains: Who is the graceful lady who goes by the name of Sophie Hunter and is she really the one to share her life with the enigmatic Sherlock Holmes? If Benedict Cumberbatch is an esteemed actor, she has not gained less in terms of appreciation, as they both share the same prestigious educational background. The soon to become Lady Cumberbatch obtained a degree of Modern Languages from Oxford University before proceeding into a stage (and back-stage) carrier as an actor and director. In addition, Sophie Hunter has been awarded with a Samuel Beckett award in 2007 as writer and director of her very own play, The Terrific Electric.