The Valentine’s Day wedding of Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter was “magical”.

The couple, who announced their engagement in a notice in the Times in November, tied the knot in a private ceremony in the south of England.

The announcement in this morning's Times
The announcement in The Times

A spokeswoman for Benedict said: “Benedict and Sophie were married yesterday surrounded by their close friends and family. It was a magical day.”

Actor Tom Hiddleston, speaking at the What’s On Stage Awards in London, said it had been a “private occasion”.

Benedict Cumberbatch.
(John Phillips/Invision/PA)

Imitation Game star Benedict, 38, who is shortlisted for a best actor Oscar later this month for his role as tortured genius war hero Alan Turing, met 36-year-old Hunter when they appeared together in the 2009 film Burlesque Fairytales. Last month it was reported that the couple are expecting their first child.

Benedict, who has a global army of fans jokingly referred to as “Cumberbitches”, is enjoying a golden period in his career as one of Britain’s most popular actors.

He has been lauded for his role as codebreaker Turing, having also starred in Star Trek: Into Darkness and 12 Years a Slave after leaping into the public consciousness in the title role of the BBC’s detective series Sherlock.

His disappearance from the eligible bachelor lists came just a matter of weeks after fellow A-lister Hollywood star George Clooney married the lawyer Amal Alamuddin.

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch.
(Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Sophie is an Oxford graduate who studied modern languages. She has directed a number of experimental and avant garde productions including a puppet version of Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition which toured the US.

She has taken acting roles in TV shows such as Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and an episode of Midsomer Murders, as well as the 2004 film version of Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon.

Her stage productions as a director have also included the Britten opera The Rape of Lucretia. She has also had a music career of her own, recording a French language album with Robbie Williams’s collaborator Guy Chambers in 2005 called The Isis Project, after they met through a mutual friend.