Dame Joan Collins was overjoyed as she watched her only son, the artist Alexander ‘Sacha’ Newley, tie the knot with jazz singer Sheela Raman in a gorgeous ceremony at a lakeside castle in Salzburg at the weekend.
The Dynasty star, 92, was among the guests as Sacha, 60, whose father was Joan’s second husband – the late actor and singer Anthony Newley – exchanged vows with the American-born musician.
The wedding was a long time coming. The couple got engaged in 2019 but their original plans for a South of France ceremony were dramatically called off the following year due to Covid restrictions.
Now, five years on, they finally got their dream day in Austria.
It is Sacha’s second marriage following his six-year union with US jewellery designer Angela Tassoni, with whom he shares daughter Ava Grace, 20.
Sheela, who stunned in a vintage-inspired lace gown, shared photos on Instagram of the big day, captioning the post: ‘What a gift to stand side-by-side, surrounded by our beloved friends and family, as we step into this new chapter together.
Dame Joan Collins was overjoyed as she watched her only son, the artist Alexander ‘Sacha’ Newley, tie the knot with jazz singer Sheela Raman in a gorgeous ceremony at a lakeside castle
The Dynasty star, 92, looked elegant in a pale blue ensemble as she walked arm-in-arm with her son Sacha
‘Our wedding day was more than a celebration, it was a reflection of the creative life we’re building together, full of music, laughter and love, and our little girl, who makes every day more glorious as she blossoms.
‘We’re so grateful to our family and friends who traveled from near and far, held us in joy, and communed with us on this sacred day. It will live with us always.’
Joan, who wore an elegant light blue dress and matching hat for the occasion, commented: ‘It was a magical three days,’ to which her new daughter-in-law replied, ‘It was so wonderful to celebrate with you.’
The newlyweds tied the knot against a spectacular Alpine backdrop, posing for photos on a jetty stretching into a crystal-clear lake before joining guests at a grand turreted castle.
Later, Sheela treated their friends and family to a soaring rendition of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good. The couple then took a turn at serenading each other in front of the crowd.
Distinguished painter Sacha is celebrated for his portraits of cultural icons including Gore Vidal,
Superman star Christopher Reeve and the later American filmmaker Billy Wilder.
He and Sheela welcomed their daughter, Deia Shanaya, in 2022, making Dame Joan a grandmother for the fourth time.
The wedding was a long time coming. The couple got engaged in 2019 but their original plans for a South of France ceremony were dramatically called off the following year due to Covid restrictions
Sheela, who stunned in a vintage-inspired lace gown, shared photos on Instagram of the big day
She captioned the post: ‘What a gift to stand side-by-side, surrounded by our beloved friends and family, as we step into this new chapter together’
The newlyweds tied the knot against a spectacular Alpine backdrop, posing for photos on a jetty stretching into a crystal-clear lake before joining guests at a grand turreted castle
Joan, who has been married to her fifth husband, film producer Percy Gibson, for 23 years, said of having a fourth grandchild: ‘It’s really lovely to become a grandma again. It’s all these grandchildren that keeps me so young.’
Joan also has two daughters: the writer Tara Newley, 61, from her marriage to Anthony Newley, and the actress Katyana Kass, 53, from her third marriage to record executive Ron Kass.
The actress’s own journey to lasting love was famously long and colourful. She wed her first husband, the Northern Irish actor Maxwell Reed, in 1952, before finding a different kind of glamour in her union with Anthony Newley a decade later. Their marriage ended in 1970.
Ron Kass became her third husband in 1972, though they too separated after more than a decade together, and in 1985 she wed Swedish pop singer Peter Holm in a whirlwind romance that collapsed just two years later.
It was only with Percy, 32 years her junior, that Joan finally found stability. The pair met at a book signing in San Francisco in 2000 and married two years later.
She has described him as a ‘wonderful, kind, truly good man’ and ‘the love of her life’.
