What Has Benedict Cumberbatch Named His Second Son?

It has just been reported that Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter welcomed their second child into the world three and a half weeks ago; another son with a rather unusual name. The happy news has not yet received a formal announcement.

39-year-old Sophie gave birth to their new baby at Portland Hospital in London on March 3rd 2017, according to new reports. The news will no doubt be officially announced in The Times as is customary for the couple's most special news. And it will no doubt reveal the little boy's unique name, Hal Auden Cumberbatch.

The first name seems to be both an ode to William Shakespeare and to Benedict's pal and fellow Brit Tom Hiddleston. Prince Hal was the name of the heir to the throne in the play 'Henry IV', and would go on to become the eponymous King Henry V of the follow-up story. Tom happened to play that role in the 2012 mini-series 'The Hollow Crown'.

Benedict went on to play Richard III in the 2016 series 'The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses', and he is also well-known for doing 'Hamlet' in London's West End in 2015, though it would perhaps have been much too conceited to name a child after one of your own Shakespearean roles. And anyway, Benedict and Tom have been good friends since they starred together in Steven Spielberg's 2010 film 'War Horse'.

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The baby's second name, Auden, is perhaps another sly clue to the inspiration of Hal as a first name; it's an Old English word meaning 'Old friend'.

Benedict and Sophie were married on the Isle of Wight on Valentine's Day in 2015 after just a three month engagement. They had their first child, Christopher Carlton that same year. The couple met while shooting 'Burlesque Fairytales' in 2009 where they played Annabel Blythe-Smith and Henry Clark.