It's all over for Zac Goldsmith and wife Sheherazade

By Katie Nicholl
Last updated at 1:14 AM on 30th August 2009

Multi-millionaire Zac Goldsmith and his wife Sheherazade are to divorce, with the Tory rising star likely to face one of the UK’s biggest ever financial settlements.

The couple issued a statement last night after Zac returned from a holiday at his family’s villa near Marbella in Spain – where he met up on at least one occasion with blonde heiress Alice Rothschild.

The Goldsmiths, who have three young children, confirmed that they have formally separated and plan to divorce. 

After a summer of living apart, Zac and Sheherazade Goldsmith are to divorce

Sheherazade is likely to win a sizeable chunk of Zac’s £300million fortune inherited from his father, the late billionaire Sir James Goldsmith.

The couple have been living in separate homes since January when The Mail on Sunday was told that their marriage was in serious trouble.

Zac Goldsmith allegedly met up with Alice Rothschild, his sister-in-law, in Spain over the summer

Zac, who is David Cameron’s environmental campaigner and Tory parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, has been living with his mother Lady Annabel at her home in the South West London constituency.

There had been concern in the Conservative party that rumours about Zac’s marriage might jeopardise his chances of a clean election campaign.

Meanwhile, Sheherazade, 35, and the children spent the summer at the Goldsmiths’ home in Devon. She has now told friends she is ‘planning a new life without Zac’.

A spokesman for the couple told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Zac and Sheherazade separated some time ago and are now planning to divorce.

'They remain close and mutually supportive of each other and of their children. There will be no further comment by either party.’

Zac’s friendship with Alice, 25, was first revealed by The Mail on Sunday in 2006. He had been making regular afternoon trips to her London home, often lasting four hours.

At the time, Zac, 34, claimed he was visiting Alice to plan a charity poker night. Zac has always insisted their friendship is platonic.

Alice’s older sister Kate is married to Zac’s brother Ben and the Rothschild dynasty is even wealthier and more powerful than the Goldsmiths.

But shortly after their meetings were made public, Alice went to work in Mongolia. She returned to the UK in September 2007 and resumed contact with Zac.

The friendship is said to have put a strain on Zac’s marriage.

A family friend said; ‘Alice was never really off the scene, which has been very hard for Sheherazade.

‘She is often at the Goldsmiths’ family home with her sister, so it’s inevitable that her and Zac’s paths cross quite frequently.’

In happier times: Zac and Sheherazade Goldsmith at their wedding in 1999

Another family friend told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Zac and Sheherazade have been living separate lives for months and this summer was a real turning point. Sheherazade realised that she needs to start planning for a new life without Zac and that is what she has said she is doing.

‘Both she and Zac had hoped they would be able to work things through, for the sake of the children if nothing else, but it’s not to be the case.

‘Naturally she is worried about the future and the children but she and Zac are mature enough to realise that the situation has got to the stage where the marriage is now a farce. The one thing they are united on, whatever the future holds, is that the children will always be their priority.’

A further sign that the marriage was on the rocks was when Sheherazade stayed away from Lady Annabel’s annual summer party. 

Zac Goldsmith seen leaving the home of blonde society beauty Alice Rothschild back in 2006

A friend said: ‘Zac was there, but Sheherazade was not, which was deemed very strange and people were talking about it.

‘We knew there had been problems at Christmas and it was clear that things were not back on track.

‘She did not go on holiday to Spain and it was a clear signal that the marriage was over. Sheherazade will be upset but not altogether surprised to hear that Zac and Alice met up while on holiday. She has had to accept that Alice is always going to be around.’

A family friend said yesterday: ‘Both Zac and Sheherazade are incredibly sad that they couldn’t make their marriage work but there have been problems for a while.

‘The fact that they are separating has come as a big relief to their close family and friends and also for Zac and Sheherazade. We just hope they can move on with their lives now.’

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