04 December 2023 , 10:45
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James Blunt has been busy writing, singing and recording over the last year, all the while raising two kids and travelling between Ibiza and London with his wife.
The You're Beautiful singer has opened up about his heartache past and present in his new album, Who We Used To Be - which marks his first since 2019 - and in his highly-anticipated memoir, Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story. Plus, he leaves no stone unturned in his new documentary, One Brit Wonder.
The film, which airs in cinemas on Wednesday, follows James, 49, on his 2022 tour and looks back on his journey to success, from witnessing the Kosovo War to recording the best-selling album of the nineties. Here, we take a look at what his life looks like off-stage, from his 'strong' other half to his son's famous godfather.
'Strong' wife
James and wife Sofia have been married since 2014 and share two children together (Getty Images)James is married to Sofia Wellesley, an Edinburgh University-educated legal consultant with aristocratic roots. The daughter of Lord and Lady John Henry Wellesley, and granddaughter of the eighth Duke of Wellington, it was perhaps no surprise that James and Sofia received an exclusive invite to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.
The couple began dating in 2012 and, on September 5, 2014, tied the knot in a private ceremony held at a London registry office, the morning after attending music legend Elton John's annual End of Summer party in Windsor. As reported by the Mail Online, socialite Sofia joked with pals at the time that she "was almost too hungover to get married".
Ed Sheeran says 'turbulent things' have happened in personal life in rare video
No sooner had they said, 'I do', the lovebirds jetted off to Majorca for a second ceremony with family and friends, held at Sofia's mother's breathtaking Marsana estate. Reflecting on his choice of partner with the Mail Online ahead of the big day, James explained: "It takes a strong person to be able to deal with somebody working in music. It's hard when you're with somebody and you become embroiled in something just because you were seen standing next to someone else." He added: "It takes a tough person to deal with that and I'm lucky to have her."
James and Sofia are now raising two children together, with their first son born in 2016. Although the proud parents are keen to protect their children's privacy, it is understood that they chose fellow singer Ed Sheeran as the godfather of their eldest. In an interview with The Sun, Ed revealed: "James is like a brother to me, actually I'm not quite sure if I can say this, but I'm going to - he's just made me godfather to his son. To be honest, I think he's only done it because he knows I've got a good idea of what sort of person he'd want him to be when he grows up - an absolute lad. We're going to be brothers for life."
Ed Sheeran is James Blunt's son's godfather and close friend (WireImage)
His son's godmother is late American actress Carrie Fisher (Getty Images)Painful death
For his son's godmother, James opted for his close friend Carrie Fisher, whose death in December 2016 left him "desperately sad" that the youngster would grow up without knowing her. James told People magazine at the time: "She's the most amazing person I know and I'm really desperately sad he won't get to know her but I have many memories, many stories I'll be able to tell him. I don't know if any of them are safe enough to tell on camera!"
When it came to his latest album, James drew upon his grief for Carrie in the heartbreaking track Dark Thought. In a recent interview with The Sun, James explained: "In the song, it's a serious story about when I drive to the house and see a For Sale sign outside and shed a tear. But in real life, it was a funny moment when a star tour bus came along and the tour guide said over the Tannoy, 'And on the left you can see the late, great Carrie Fisher's house and you can see some fans are still paying their respects'. And that was me blubbing by the gate."
Another new track, entitled The Girl That Never Was, appears to be about the heartbreaking loss of a child, and James has shared that this one is particularly meaningful to him. He continued: "The song that means the most is The Girl That Never Was and I've talked about how we can relate. We all have ambitions to start families at some point - sometimes we have success and sometimes we struggle, which is what the song is about."
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