Joy as Daily Mail owner's son is engaged to Alexandra, girl he met through a love of horses
Six years after meeting on an adventurous horseback safari in Kenya, Vere Harmsworth, elder son of Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, and Alexandra Wood are engaged.
Vere, 30, and Zimbabwe-born Alexandra, 27, who is known as Mwana, or 'little one' in the Shona language, plan to marry next year.
The news was being celebrated last night. 'We are over the moon and delighted Mwana is joining our family,' said Lady Rothermere.
'It is like having another daughter. She is a lovely, gorgeous girl.'
Vere, whose father Jonathan is chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc, publishers of the Daily Mail, MailOnline and The Mail on Sunday, was educated at Eton and St Peter's College, Oxford, where he read history.
After working for BCG, the global management consulting group, he joined the family firm, learning all aspects of the publishing business. He has held a string of senior roles and is currently chief commercial officer for DMG Media.
Mwana, the daughter of tobacco farmers, was educated at Peterhouse Girls, one of the top independent schools in southern Africa.
She is a project manager in the construction industry and currently completing a master's in construction economics at University College London.
But it was their shared love of horses and riding that was to lead to romance.
Alexandra was hired as one of the guides for a Rothermere family holiday in Kenya's wild and beautiful Masai Mara region – and the couple have been inseparable ever since.
Alexandra rides and plays polo as does Vere, who, in 2013, led Eton to a thumping victory over rivals Harrow.
He was part of another memorable winning team when Oxford beat Cambridge in the 2015 Varsity Polo Match.
The daughter of Duncan Wood and Hilary Campbell, Alexandra is the youngest of four – hence her nickname.
She has three older brothers: Tommy who's based in Marondera, south of Harare; Hugo who lives in Zambia, and James, a farmer in Herefordshire.
She also has two half-siblings, Emily and Victoria.
This weekend, Alexandra was sporting an exquisite marquise cut diamond ring chosen by Vere.
The proposal was conducted in time-honoured tradition, after some meticulous planning.
On Saturday, despite indifferent weather, he asked her on a walk to Win Green, a beauty spot close to the Rothermere family country home, with views over the Wiltshire countryside. It was there that Vere dropped to one knee.
'I am thrilled that she said "yes", and so excited and happy about this next chapter in our lives,' Vere said last night. 'I'm so very lucky that she is taking me on.'
The couple share a home in Notting Hill, west London with their one-year-old Cairn terrier, Toto. It's thought life won't change too much – at least to start with.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The Block's HUGE finished homes dwarf their tiny Daylesford neighbours as 2025 builds are complete - but with cladding and pickleball courts, do they fit into the country town?
With the new season of The Block just around the corner, anticipation is reaching fever pitch around what fans can expect from the Channel Nine juggernaut's 21st season. Images obtained by Daily Mail Australia reveal that the builds for the 2025 iteration are now complete, and it seems this year's crop of Blockheads had quite the canvas to work with. While this year's Block will take place in the small country Victorian town of Daylesford, don't expect any diminutive rural cottages. The five houses look absolutely massive, and aerial photos of the site show the recently finished builds dwarfing the existing properties that line the perimeter. Each of the sleek and modern supersized builds is built as a 'H' design layout, with courtyard spaces in front and back of the home. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. However, each one features a unique exterior covering - from cladding to Colourbond and landscaped gardens. One property even features a pickleball court, as well as an in-ground pool and what appears to be a smaller plunge pool next to a cabana. One of the houses already looks lived in, with one photograph showing a Hills Hoist clothesline complete with washing. While viewers may think they have already seen it all on the drama-packed reality TV show, the 2025 season will be injecting another never-before-seen twist. Contestants had to renovate their luxury homes completely from scratch in a new plotline that is sure to inject even more tension into the already time-pressured and stressful builds. According to the planning documents submitted to Hepburn Shire Council, contestants were required to complete the shell of a five-bedroom floor plan, including a study, living area, and a garage. The properties will also include other lavish amenities, including a covered outdoor area and a heated swimming pool. While Nine is remaining tight-lipped on the official name of the upcoming series, whispers around the network suggest the new series could easily be branded as a sequel to the 2022 'Tree Change' season. That season was set in Gisborne in the Macedon Ranges - just a short drive from this year's location. 'Honestly, the style and finish of the homes are nearly identical to what we saw in Tree Change,' the insider said. 'Same vibe, same tones, same country-chic energy.' The series, which wrapped filming on June 1, is set to premiere slightly earlier than usual, with a launch tipped for the first week of August. While fans have come to expect fiery feuds and over-the-top drama, insiders say this season is shaping up to be very different. 'There's actually much less conflict this year,' one well-placed insider said. 'But that doesn't mean it's boring. There's a charm and warmth to this season that will surprise long-term fans.' However, the source added that not everyone is convinced that producers have fully tapped into the healthy, holistic living vibe Daylesford is known for. 'There was a lot of talk early on that the season might embrace living off the land, healthy eating and holistic living, which the town is so well known for,' the insider said. 'But in reality, the houses are still very much classic Block homes.' It comes as Nine unveiled its first look at the new series, in a teaser clip that aired during their State Of Origin game two coverage. The clip showed hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft driving Block-themed big rigs in a convoy to the new locale. 'This year, we've packed up the whole shebang, and we're heading for somewhere special,' Scott says in the clip. 'That's right Australia, I've found a cracker of a country town, you're gonna love and we're rolling in for a truckload of fun.' The tongue-in-cheek preview also gives fans a first look at the 2025 Block teams - Emma and Ben, Han and Can, Robbie and Matt, Alicia and Sonny, and Britt and Taz. The teams were shown excitedly jumping out of Scott's big rig to promote what is promised to be the best Block season yet. News Corp reported in December that Nine dropped almost $10million to acquire the land that has been subdivided into five separate lots. The publication reported that the Nine-owned company Micjoy Pty Ltd took ownership of the parcel of land for $9,445,801.00. The figure is on par with previous Block purchases, with Micjoy dropping $10million on the notorious Gatwick Hotel in Melbourne for the Block's 2017 season. The company also paid $14.3 million for five properties in Hampton East, Melbourne, for the 2022 series.
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
WWE fans in awe as 'freakish' star finally debuts after 12-month wait
WWE fans were stunned as a new face made a massive impression at Night of Champions 2025. Former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Hikuleo – who was previously a member of Bullet Club and Guerrillas of Destiny – was reported to have signed with the company back in July 2024. It's been a year since the towering star left NJPW, and 11 months since he was said to have inked his WWE deal. Finally, he reappeared and made his debut during Saturday's Night of Champions event in Saudi Arabia just hours after a historic King of the Ring win for Cody Rhodes. He had a defining role to play in the United States Title match which saw Jacob Fatu putting his gold on the line against Solo Sikoa. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. After Tonga Loa returned from a seven month injury layoff to turn the tide in Sikoa's favour, the former Bloodline enforcer had another trick up his sleeve with Hikuleo appearing to cost Fatu the title. Taking to X after the match, WWE boss Triple H retweeted a photo of Solo celebrating with his allies and wrote: 'By any means necessary…#WWENOC' It's been a long wait, but now he's joined his for GoD teammates – and real life cousin Loa and brother Tama Tonga – on the WWE main roster. Commentators Michael Cole and Wade Barrett avoided saying Hikuleo's name, which suggests a change in moniker is on the horizon for the newcomer, who stands at 6ft 8ins. However, Preston-born Barrett immediately hyped up the big man, branding him an 'absolute freak', while fans watching on Netflix were in awe of his size. 'Huge surprise with Hikuleo helping Solo! Great twist in the title match. #WWENOC,' raved @LaurenMill62673 on X. 'HIKULEO IS HUGE MY GOD,' shouted @ChefOsco, with plenty of fans stunned by his hulking frame. 'Hikuleo is him! Dude is massive af. #WWENOC,' added @ShinTails77. He's a newcomer to WWE fans, having only recently appeared in so-called dark matches, which are off-air bouts for the live crowd. In his first on June 13, he overcame Pretty Deadly's Kit Wilson, while last week he beat Ryan Matthias before SmackDown. Before joining WWE, he made his name in New Japan, where he became Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion on two occasions with El Phantasmo, while the duo also won the IWPT Tag Team Titles. View More » He's also a former Strong Openweight Champion, having wrestled in the United States for TNA and All Elite Wrestling. King of the Ring final : Cody Rhodes pinned Randy Orton : Cody Rhodes pinned Randy Orton Street Fight : Rhea Ripley beat Raquel Rodriguez : Rhea Ripley beat Raquel Rodriguez Sami Zayn pinned Karrion Kross United States Title : Solo Sikoa defeated Jacob Fatu (c) : Solo Sikoa defeated Jacob Fatu (c) Queen of the Ring: Jade Cargill beat Asuka Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'It's a hell of a ride!' Your favourite shows like Squid Game MORE: Netflix WWE SmackDown live stream cuts out with millions unable to watch MORE: TV fans torn between bingeing Netflix hit series or 'anxiety-inducing' drama this weekend
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Pretorius becomes SA's youngest Test centurion
First Test, Bulawayo (day one of five)South Africa 418-9 (Pretorius 153, Bosch 100*; Chivanga 4-83)Zimbabwe Yet to batScorecard Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest centurion in South Africa's Test history as he made a brilliant 153 on debut at the age of 19 years and 93 left-handed batter made a hundred off 112 balls on day one of the first Test against Zimbabwe which helped the Proteas reach 418-9 at the Queens Sports Club in eclipsed a record which had stood since December 1963 when Graeme Pollock made 120 against Australia in Sydney aged 19 years and 318 wicketkeeper-batter became the 10th youngest Test centurion of all time in a list headed by Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh, who was 17 years and 61 days old when he made a hundred against Sri Lanka in 2001. He is the fourth-youngest to do so on debut. He is the youngest player to score 150 in Tests, bettering Javed Miandad, who was 19 years and 119 days old when he scored 163 against New Zealand in 1976. Pretorius came to the crease with South Africa, who are playing their first match since winning the World Test Championship earlier this month, in a bit of trouble at 23-3 but signalled his intent when he hit the fourth ball he faced for brought up his century shortly before tea with a clip to square leg off Hamilton was eventually dismissed - after getting lives on 30, 54, 55 and 127 - when he pulled a short ball from Tanaka Chivanga, who took 4-83, into the hands of Masakadza at knock of 153 off 160 balls included 11 fours and four sixes and was also his highest score in first-class cricket."It was amazing. I was quite nervous as 23-3 but it's been a dream come true. I don't think it's sunk it yet. I'm glad today is over," Pretorius said."I just love batting, fortunately it worked out for me today. It's a real dream come true, and for my parents and family to be here, it tops it off."All-rounder Corbin Bosch also brought up his maiden Test hundred off 124 balls and will resume unbeaten on 100 on day two. Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius? With a batting style and frame which has more than a hint of former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith about it, the stocky leftie looks destined for great in Potchefstroom in March 2006 he was educated in South Africa's private schools system and quickly found his way into the professional was the leading run-scorer at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2024, with 287 runs in six games at an average of long after he made his domestic T20 debut in South Africa for the Titans at the age of 17 and caught the eye later in the tournament with 82 off 43 balls against then made 120 on his first-class debut for Titans against Warriors in December 2024 before an impressive knock on his debut in the SA20 led to wider scored a career-best 97 T20 franchise debut for Paarl Royals in January 2025, an innings which caught the eye of England captain Ben Stokes."One of the many things franchise cricket has done is put young/inexperienced but incredibly talented players opportunities on the biggest stage against the best in the world and show off how good they are. Lhuan-dre Pretorius is doing that right now," Stokes said in a post on X, external in May 2025, Pretorius was called up to the Indian Premier League by Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for the injured Nitish Rana and appeared in one match as an impact player but did not the IPL Pretorius played three games for Hampshire in the T20 Blast, having signed as an overseas player in February, where he made scores of one, 37 and 28.
