Jemima Goldsmith

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Jemima Khan, also known as Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith (born January 30, 1974, London), ex-wife of cricketer Imran Khan, is a British socialite and a UK ambassador for UNICEF.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Khan is the daughter of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith and aristocrat Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart. When she was born, both her parents were married to other people. Though she was married to nightclub owner Mark Birley and already had three children Rupert, Robin and India Jane, her mother was one of Goldsmith's mistresses. They would have another child together Zac before her mother eventually divorced her husband.[2] Her parents married in 1978. They had another child together Ben. In 1981, her father moved to New York, leaving the family at their home in Surrey, England.

She has two younger brothers Zac Goldsmith and Ben Goldsmith as well as several half-siblings: Isabel Goldsmith from her father's first marriage, Alix and Manes from her father's second marriage and Jethro and Charlotte by her father's mistress, Laure Boulay de la Meurthe.

From her mother's first marriage she has two brothers Rupert and Robin Birley and a sister India Jane Birley.

Jemima is said to have been the apple of her father's eye.

She excelled academically and proved to be a talented horsewoman. It seemed likely that she would become a professional equestrian[3] but Khan chose to continue her studies.

In 1993, she enrolled for an English degree at Bristol University.

In 1995 she met the Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan, in a nightclub. Though he was almost twice her age, she was taken with Imran, a charismatic Oxford graduate. His politics and religious ideology both inspired and appealed to her. Her curiosity piqued, Jemima began to study islam and she eventually decided to convert. Khan embraced Islam: it was reported that she had changed her first name from Jemima to Haiyqa, but this was later denied by Khan in an interview with British magazine Vogue.

[edit] Marriage & Politics

In May 1995 she married Imran Khan in Paris, France.[4] The ceremony was held in Urdu. Their marriage held a unique charm in what was hailed as the new, multicultural Britain.

Imran set out to pursue a career in politics as the leader of the Movement for Justice Party in Pakistan. Jemima working tirelessly with her husband, became fluent in Urdu and had their first son Suleiman in 1997 while campaigning to improve the literacy level in Pakistan. Their second son, Qasim, was born in 1999.

After moving to Pakistan with her husband she embarked on a series of business ventures, including her own brand of tomato ketchup and the "Jemima Khan" fashion label which closed in 2001. All profits from her entreprenurial ventures went to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer hospital, named for her husband's mother.

In Lahore, Khan lived in very simple, traditional conditions in her father-in-law's house with her extended family. She explained,"I think the fact that I was very young made it easier to adjust and fit in. Certainly, I couldn’t make a change like that now."[5]

The fact that she hailed from a famous Western Jewish family would prove to be of great consequence for her husband's political career. She was vilified in many Pakistani newspapers. Religious groups demanded that her citizenship be revoked. Demonstrations ensued. Khan was even arrested and detained for allegedly smuggling antiques. The charges proved to be false. This put enormous pressure on her marriage. Of her experiences she said:"I had to over-conform, and I had to make a double effort to be seen to do the right thing, because I was a foreigner with a Jewish background. I was his Achilles heel, politically, and he has a reputation for being honest and straightforward and uncorrupt. So a way of attacking him was to attack me."[6]

Their marriage suffered yet another blow when it was revealed that another British heiress, Sita White, had a child by Imran Khan prior to his marriage to Jemima. Though her husband vigorously denied his paternity of White's child, it was believed by many that he was indeed the father of Tyrian. [7]

[edit] Return To London

Jemima Khan moved to London in 2003 to study for a Master's degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Imran Khan announced in June 2004 that he and his wife had divorced. Khan lives in the UK while her two sons spend time in Pakistan and the UK. She is currently engaged to actor Hugh Grant [citation needed]. Khan and Grant, along with Jemima's two sons Suleiman and Qasim, flew out to Barbados on Boxing Day to see in 2006 together. She has retained her married name.

[edit] External links

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