Former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss has found love again, marrying his partner Antonia Linnaeus-Peat in a private ceremony in South Africa. The wedding comes almost seven years to the day after the tragic death of his first wife, Ruth, from a rare lung cancer.
A Private Vineyard Celebration
The couple exchanged vows on December 17 at the picturesque La Clé vineyard in Franschhoek, the wine region around 50 miles east of Cape Town. The 48-year-old cricket legend, who was born in South Africa, married 30-year-old Antonia Linnaeus-Peat in a sun-drenched ceremony attended only by close family.
Photographs from the day show the newlyweds beaming with happiness, surrounded by loved ones. A particularly poignant image captures Sir Andrew and his new wife smiling alongside his two sons from his first marriage, Samuel, 19, and Luca, 17.
The wedding was coordinated by Mosaic Weddings, with photography by Celeste Prince. The couple, who have been in a relationship for around two years, were first seen together publicly leaving a London restaurant in late 2022.
A Journey of Love and Loss
Sir Andrew's marriage marks a new chapter following immense personal tragedy. His first wife, Ruth McDonald, died aged 46 on December 29, 2018, after a battle with a rare non-smoking lung cancer. The couple had been married for 15 years.
In the aftermath of Ruth's passing, Sir Andrew channelled his grief into establishing the Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2019. The charity provides support for families facing the death of a parent from cancer and funds crucial research into non-smoking related lung cancers.
The foundation's 'Red for Ruth' campaign has become a staple in the English cricket calendar, with players and fans wearing red during a designated Test match each summer to raise awareness and funds.
New Beginnings and Cricket Reflections
The wedding meant Sir Andrew was not present in Australia for England's ongoing Ashes series. The former captain, who led England to a famous Ashes victory Down Under in 2010-11, recently used the social network LinkedIn to comment on England's consistent struggles in Australia.
He argued that the issues run deeper than team management, stating that sacking coaches or captains would not change the "depressingly one-sided story." Strauss, who served as the ECB's director of cricket, suggested fundamental changes to the English high-performance system are needed to compete consistently in Australia.
Meanwhile, friends and fans have expressed widespread joy that the respected sportsman has found happiness with his new wife. Antonia Linnaeus-Peat, a former PR executive who now runs Linnaeus Fine Art Advisory Limited, grew up in Hong Kong and was educated at the exclusive St Mary's Calne school in Wiltshire. The couple were also seen together in the Royal Box at Wimbledon this past summer.
Sir Andrew has spoken openly about how grief reshaped his perspective, telling The Telegraph in 2023 that his wife's death made him acutely aware that "our time is limited." His marriage to Antonia represents a hopeful new beginning, honouring the past while embracing the future.
