Sir Paul McCartney gets married for the third time

MUSIC LEGEND and former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney married American heiress Nancy Shevell in a low-key ceremony in a register office in central London yesterday.

The pair were showered with confetti as they posed for pictures outside The Old Marylebone Town Hall, where the 69-year-old former Beatle had also married his first wife Linda.

They appeared delighted after the service yesterday and Sir Paul raised his new wife’s hand in the air in triumph. He wore a dark suit with a white shirt and pale blue tie, while the 51-year-old haulage heiress chose a long-sleeved, knee-length white dress for the ceremony.

The guests included ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Bach, and George Harrison’s widow Olivia. Sir Paul’s daughter Beatrice acted as bridesmaid.

Lady McCartney’s second cousin, US broadcaster Barbara Walters, described the wedding as “beautiful and wonderful”.

The couple arrived at the venue at about 3:30pm and were inside for about an hour and ten minutes. Hundreds of well-wishers and photographers waited for hours outside to catch a glimpse of the wedding party before they got into a car.

Sir Paul and his new bride posed for more pictures and kissed outside the reception at their home near St John’s Wood in north London. Asked how he felt, he said: “Terrific, thank you. I feel married.”

He added: “I feel absolutely wonderful.”

Sir Paul, who is worth an estimated £475 million, shook hands with fans and gave high-fives. Nancy did not say anything, but grinned and winked at the waiting fans.

The low-key proceedings are in stark contrast to the £1.5m Sir Paul spent on his wedding to Heather Mills in 2003 in front of 300 guests at Castle Leslie in Ireland.

Sir Paul and his bride had broken with tradition yesterday by spending the morning of the wedding together.

They were seen leaving the house looking relaxed and in casual clothes shortly after 11:30am, when they are thought to have gone to the gym at nearby Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Vans delivering supplies such as temporary carpets, candles and an entertainment system arrived shortly after the couple left. It took two people to carry the main wedding cake, which had chocolate as one of the ingredients. The other was a vegan cake.

Asked how long it took to create, the cakemaker from Posh Puds Patisserie said: “We worked for weeks.”

Children’s entertainers and catering staff also went into the house.

It is thought that yesterday’s date was chosen for the wedding because it would have been the 71st birthday of Sir Paul’s former bandmate John Lennon, who was assassinated in 1980.

The couple became engaged this year after they began dating four years ago.

After the celebrations the newlyweds are expected to fly to the United States to mark their nuptials with a second gathering at the Hamptons, the seaside enclave two hours from New York where they both own homes.

The musician lost his first wife, Linda Eastman, in 1998 when she died of cancer.

He went on to marry former model Heather Mills, a union that ended with an acrimonious courtroom battle when they divorced in 2008. After seeking a £125m settlement, she was awarded £24.3m.

Nancy Shevell was married for more than 20 years to lawyer Bruce Blakeman and they have a 19-year-old son, Arlen. She is said to get on well with Sir Paul’s five children, having appeared at Stella McCartney fashion shows, awards ceremonies and at the former Beatle’s concerts.

She is a wealthy woman in her own right, is on the board of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is vice president of a family-owned business conglomerate.