Former England captain Andrew Strauss is set to marry Antonia Linnaeus-Peat in South Africa next month, and the ceremony will coincide with the start of the third Ashes Test vs Australia
Andrew Strauss is set to marry partner Antonia Linnaeus-Peat
Former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss is set to marry partner Antonia Linnaeus-Peat in South Africa next month, seven years after his first wife Ruth tragically died of lung cancer. The 48-year-old will not be in Australia for the upcoming Ashes series which begins next Friday, with his wedding scheduled for December 17.
He revealed on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast that the ceremony will be an intimate occasion, with only family invited. Strauss and Linneaus-Peat made their first public appearance two years ago, when they were reported to have been together for several months.
They were also seen together in the Royal Box at this past summer’s Wimbledon Championships.
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The bride-to-be is a 30-year-old company director of Linnaeus Fine Art Advisory Limited. Before that, she worked as a PR executive.
The marriage comes seven years after the death of Strauss’ first wife Ruth, who passed away in December 2018 at the age of 46 following a battle with a form of lung cancer.
The couple were married for 15 years and had two sons, Samuel, 19, and Luca, 17.
Andrew Strauss set up the Ruth Strauss Foundation in honour of his late wife
Following Ruth’s death, Strauss set up the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which supports families facing the death of a parent and also funds research into non-smoking lung cancers. The ‘Red for Ruth’ campaign is prominent throughout England Test matches.
The campaign encourages players coaches and fans to wear red to raise awareness of the foundation during a Test match in July. The last Red For Ruth day took place on the second day of the Lord’s Test between England and India back in the summer.
In 2023, Strauss spoke to The Telegraph about how Ruth’s death has changed his outlook on life. “Our time is limited, and therefore I need to be more conscious about what I do and don’t do,” he said.
Sir Andrew Strauss has received a knighthood for his services to cricket and charity.(Image: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“This might mean experiencing things that weren’t appealing to me before, or saying no to things even though I don’t want to let people down. But most of all, it means keeping the people most important to me happy.”
He added: “It’s is still far too much of a taboo. Many people feel very uncomfortable, not knowing what to say to those who are going through it. They shudder, almost wanting to pretend that it’s not going on.
“It’s absurd, because we’re all going to be touched by death in life. Grief still feels very beneath the surface to me. And that has to change, because otherwise there will be people devoid of support or knowledge.
“You can be in your own little room grieving, without knowing where to turn.”