Congratulations are in order for Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter, who have become parents for the second time.
The couple are thought to have welcomed their second child, a baby boy reportedly named Hal Auden Cumberbatch, on 3rd March.
The name is thought to be a nod to Shakespeare's history plays: the playwright used 'Hal' as a nickname for the young Henry V, a role recently played by Cumberbatch's friend Tom Hiddleston in the BBC's recent Shakespearean adaptation, The Hollow Crown.
The couple confirmed news of their pregnancy after Benedict and Sophie attended the Los Angeles premiere of Doctor Strange back in October, with their spokesperson commenting that 'everybody is absolutely thrilled.'
Benedict and Sophie, who is an award-winning theatre director, were friends for years before getting together in 2014. They announced that they were expecting their first child in January 2015, two months after their engagement and one month before their Valentine’s Day wedding on the Isle of Wight. The private ceremony was attended by Benedict’s Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman and close friend Tom Hiddleston.
The couple welcomed their son Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch in June 2015, announcing the arrival with the statement, ‘Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter are delighted to announce the arrival of their beautiful son. We would kindly ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during these next few precious weeks.’
Last year, the actor revealed to Graham Norton that he was keen for his son to have siblings. ‘I’ve become a father and a husband, and in the right order – just. I might go for a Cumber-batch of boys,’ he said.
'It’s everything. I have a new life form that needs his father’s help in the world and his mother needs a little help once in a while. It’s what being a parent is about so it’s not an excuse to get away from what I am doing – it’s what I ought to be doing. After three and a half hours of Hamlet, I think that’s okay.’