Annabel Croft has shared her joy at becoming a grandmother for the first time at 59, describing herself as “besotted” following the birth of her daughter Amber’s baby boy.
Amber, 31, welcomed her son Arlo William Melvyn Llewellyn with husband Hector Llewellyn on September 16 — naming him in tribute to her late father, Mel Coleman, who died of sepsis in 2023 after a short battle with stage 4 colon cancer.
Posting heartwarming photos of her newborn on Instagram, Amber wrote, “Meet our little bear. Love you so, so, so much it hurts.” Annabel affectionately commented, “Grannabel is besotted. He’s completely adorable.”
The joyful news comes two years after Annabel and her family endured the devastating loss of Mel, her husband of nearly 30 years. The former tennis champion has often spoken about how joining Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 helped her cope with grief, saying the experience gave her “a reason to get up in the morning rather than just sobbing at home.”
The new arrival is not the only cause for celebration in the Croft family. Annabel’s younger daughter, Lily, 27, recently got engaged to investment director Felix McCorquodale — a relative of Princess Diana’s stepmother Raine — and Annabel’s son, Charlie, 29, married Boodles jewellery heiress Honour Wainwright in a glamorous society wedding earlier this year.
Reflecting on becoming a grandmother, Annabel previously told Hello! magazine: “When you have children yourself, it’s such a whirlwind… but now I’m looking forward to just enjoying every second. I love babies – they re-engage you with the world in a very simple and beautiful way.”
Friends and fans have flooded her social media with love and congratulations, with Princess Diana’s confidante, psychotherapist Julia Samuel, writing: “Amazing. Congratulations. Hello devoted grandma Annabel Croft.”
After years of heartache, Annabel is embracing a new chapter of healing and hope — one filled with family, laughter, and the tiny heartbeat of baby Arlo.
