Gwyneth 'to marry'

by NICOLE LAMPERT and LIZ HULL, Daily Mail

She's lost more than one celebrity boyfriend in the past, so it's understandable that Gwyneth Paltrow is determined to hold on this time.

Perhaps that's why the Hollywood actress has had no hesitation in accepting rock star Chris Martin's proposal.

Friends say the couple, who have been dating since August, are secretly engaged.

The Coldplay lead singer, 25, proposed to his millionaire girlfriend on the telephone and she immediately said yes, according to friends.

They have not yet set a date and are still shopping for an engagement ring.

Although it is Miss Paltrow's third engagement - she was betrothed to heart-throbs Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck - it is a first for double Brit award winner Martin.

Miss Paltrow, 30, has made no secret of her desire to settle down. Friends say she has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl.

One added: 'They are extremely lovey-dovey and are very excited that they are engaged.

'It is so secret that they have only told their closest friends. They are just getting used to the idea themselves.' Although the pair have not been together long, they became extremely close after the sudden death of Miss Paltrow's father Bruce in October.

The Oscar winner is said to have depended on Martin for emotional support.

The singer is currently on tour in the U.S., while Miss Paltrow is in London filming The World of Tomorrow.

Friends say Martin missed Miss Paltrow so much he popped the question in a transatlantic call on Friday.

The couple will not announce their engagement until they have bought a ring, but Miss Paltrow is already planning the ceremony, according to a newspaper report today.

Film director Steven Spielbergwho is her godfather, will give her away in the absence of her father. One of her closest friends, Stella McCartney, is likely to be a bridesmaid.

Miss Paltrow has told Martin she wants an antique wedding band, possibly from the art deco period. Her wedding dress will probably be designed by Valentino.

According to the Sun, other guests will include Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Calvin Klein, Kate Moss, Sting and his wife Trudi Styler.

Miss Paltrow has made no secret of her desire for a family. She recently said: 'I want a husband and children. I'm looking forward to family life.' And in a veiled dig at twice-married Jennifer Lopez, now engaged to Affleck, she added: 'I don't want to be married for six months and then say "Oh well, never mind, let's go on to number two".'

Friends say the pair, who are both tee-total and self-confessed health freaks, are ' perfect' for each other.

Her mother and his parents approve of the match and Miss Paltrow has said she cannot criticise her husband-to-be. 'I have found some dirty socks in his bachelor pad and the stench from them was terrible,' she joked. 'Apart from that I can't really fault him.'

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