Annabel Croft Set to Become a Grandmother for the Second Time
Former tennis star Annabel Croft is experiencing a wave of joy as she prepares to welcome her second grandchild in less than a year. The exciting news comes from her son, Charlie Coleman, and his wife, Honour Wainwright, who have announced they are expecting their first child together. The couple shared their happy news from their honeymoon in South Africa last weekend, just months after their lavish society wedding in Hampshire last August.
Honour, a 30-year-old marketing director at her family’s renowned heritage jewellery house, Boodles, took to Instagram to share the pregnancy. She posted a series of photos showcasing her growing baby bump, captioning them with: “Honeymooning with a third wheel.”
This joyous announcement arrives nearly three years after Annabel, 59, endured the profound grief of losing her beloved husband, Mel Coleman, the father of her three children. Mel passed away in May 2023, succumbing to sepsis while bravely battling stage four colon cancer. The former investment banker and yachtsman died at the age of 60, a mere eight weeks after his diagnosis and just two months before what would have been his and Annabel’s 30th wedding anniversary.
Annabel, who achieved a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon in 1984 before retiring from professional tennis at the age of 21, shared her delight on Honour’s post, commenting: “Absolutely wonderful,” accompanied by a heart emoji. She has previously spoken candidly about the “horrendous” sadness of her loss, often referring to Mel as her “rock” and the source of her confidence and sense of humour.
The former tennis champion found solace and a sense of purpose by participating in the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing. Reaching the semi-finals just months after Mel’s passing, Annabel credited the show with helping her navigate one of the darkest periods of her life. She explained, “It has given me a reason to be able to get up in the morning and have purpose rather than just sobbing at home.”
A Luxurious Honeymoon and Family Celebrations
Honour and Charlie, 29, who works in finance, are currently celebrating their honeymoon at the exclusive five-star Shumbalala Game Lodge, a luxurious safari retreat nestled within South Africa’s Thornybush Game Reserve. Their honeymoon photos offer a glimpse into their idyllic getaway, featuring the couple posing with a Land Rover-style buggy bearing the number plate “The Colemans.” They’ve also shared moments of enjoying a floating breakfast in an infinity pool, sipping sundowners during a game drive, and observing majestic lions, elephants, and gazelles in their natural habitat.
Charlie also shared snapshots from the trip on his Instagram account, to which Annabel responded with: “Absolutely stunning,” adding emojis of wild animals and a pregnant person.
Annabel first experienced the joys of grandparenthood in October of last year. Her eldest daughter, Amber, 31, gave birth to a baby boy with her financier husband, Hector Llewellyn. In a touching tribute to Amber’s late father, the couple named their son Arlo William Melvyn Llewellyn.
At the time, Annabel, who playfully refers to herself as ‘Grannabel,’ expressed her complete adoration for her first grandchild, describing him as “completely adorable.” She had previously spoken about the birth as a “positive thing to look forward to,” adding, “I love babies – they’re so full of personality, and because everything is new to them they re-engage you with the world in a very simplistic way.”
A Wedding Fit for the Society Pages
The announcement of Honour’s pregnancy has been met with an overwhelming wave of congratulatory messages from friends and family, including Annabel. Charlie’s sister, Lily Saffron Coleman, a TV presenter, shared her excitement with a jubilant “Stunnnningggg” alongside a cascade of heart and pregnancy emojis. Nell Hudson, a 35-year-old actress known for her role in Call the Midwife, who also welcomed her first child last year, sent her warm wishes with three red heart emojis.
Prior to Charlie and Honour’s wedding, the bride expressed her desire for the celebration to embody a “more Kate Moss than Kate Middleton” aesthetic, a vision that the day undoubtedly delivered. The families gathered for a church ceremony where Annabel looked resplendent in a floral gown and a fascinator adorned with feathers. The newlyweds departed in a vintage Land Rover, decorated with a “just married” sign and, in a charming nod to the groom’s mother, a pair of tennis rackets trailing from the back.
The reception, held at Honour’s family estate in Hampshire, featured an enchanting dinner held under an ivy-covered pavilion. Reports suggest Charlie performed his wedding dance to the iconic song “You’re the One that I Want” from the musical Grease. Annabel was also captured crowd-surfing alongside her new daughter-in-law, showcasing the jubilant atmosphere of the event.
Honour’s engagement ring was a magnificent piece, befitting her family’s esteemed heritage. It featured an ashoka cut diamond, a signature design exclusive to Boodles, the renowned British jewellery brand her family owns.
This happy baby news follows another significant announcement for the Croft-Coleman family. In September of last year, Annabel’s younger daughter, Lily, 27, revealed her engagement to investment director Felix McCorquodale. Felix hails from a prominent aristocratic British family and is a relative of Princess Diana’s late stepmother, Raine Spencer. Annabel described Lily’s engagement as “the most wonderful news” and expressed her delight in seeing her children “with the most wonderful partners.”
The tennis legend has spoken about feeling Mel’s presence during these special family moments. She shared with Hello! magazine that she often discovers white feathers at home, which she interprets as signs from her late husband. Since her loss, Annabel has also embraced a newfound fearlessness, stating, “When a door opens, go and explore. At my age, and with everything that’s happened, I’m not afraid to fail.”
