Lovelorn Goldsmith to wed his Jemima
...two years after ex-wife ran off with rapper
THE end of his marriage could not have been more unpleasant – or high profile.
Problems between Ben Goldsmith and his ex-wife Kate Rothschild exploded into public view two years ago when the pair became involved in an unseemly public spat on Twitter over allegations that Kate had been having an affair with American rapper Jay Electronica.
The pair, who have three children together, saw their nine-year marriage disintegrate in a matter of days, with former Etonian Ben moving out of the couple’s £20 million marital home in West London – and Kate going public about her relationship with Jay. They eventually divorced last year. But now Ben’s fortunes have definitely changed for the better, I can reveal – his gorgeous girlfriend Jemima Jones has just accepted his marriage proposal. The financier – son of the late billionaire tycoon Sir James Goldsmith – popped the question to the 27-year-old entre- preneur and former model on Wednesday night while the couple enjoyed a romantic holiday in Sicily. It means, of course, that there will now be a second Jemima in the family – Ben’s older sister is Jemima Khan, who is dating comedian Russell Brand.
Ben, 33, tells me: ‘I couldn’t be happier or luckier.
‘We are so excited to tell the rest of the family.’
I am told that Ben and his bride-tobe will celebrate their happy news with Ben’s extended family during the Goldsmiths’ annual trip to Marbella, where his mother Lady Annabel has a house.
‘Ben proposed with a single solitaire diamond bought from an antique dealer,’ a friend of the pair tells me.
‘Ben’s children love Jemima and relations with Kate are much friendlier now so it’s a time for real celebration. They haven’t set a date for the wedding yet – they are happy just to enjoy their engagement with their friends and family for now.’
Ben and Jemima, who is the sister of one of the fashion world’s favourite film-makers, Quentin Jones, began dating shortly after Ben’s split from Kate.
Another source adds: ‘Jemima gets on well with Kate and the kids. It’s a really happy situation.’