Petra Ecclestone engaged to Sam Palmer at gallery launch 14 months after divorce from James Stunt

The 30-year-old socialite said yes to Sam's proposal at the launch of his Los Angeles art gallery.

The Maddox Gallery director shared a picture of the pair on his Instagram page and told his followers the good news.

He wrote: "A personal thank you to everyone that made opening Maddox Gallery Los Angeles possible.

"I hope everyone had as an amazing year as us and that 2019 brings lots of love,health and happiness to all.

"My personal highlights have been opening the gallery in LA with the woman I love and her agreeing to marry me ❤️❤️ Here is to a fantastic 2019 ?."

Last October, Petra was granted a decree nisi from gold bullion dealer Stunt, who she had married in a £12million ceremony in a castle near Lake Bracciano, Italy, in 2011.

During their initial divorce hearing four months earlier, the controversial businessman, 36 — once estimated to be worth £3.3billion — was alleged to have been abusive and violent throughout the marriage.

He denied the claims, as he did her allegations that he had taken overdoses during their relationship.

Despite reportedly signing a £16million pre-nup and his own wealth, the young magnate tried to get a bigger slice of Petra’s fortune, estimated to be worth £230million.

Details of their final settlement have not been made public.

It was during her marriage, just after the birth of eldest child Lavinia in 2013, that Petra had her #MeToo encounter with the powerful man she calls “really high profile”.

But that is far from the only time Petra has been the target of pervy older men.

Chatting in the wake of claims made against her dad’s on/off friend Sir Philip Green, who denies accusations of bullying and harassment, she told The Sun: “I’ve experienced [creepy] behaviour many times. I think some of these men don’t know who I am — they think I’m just, like, some blonde girl, or the secretary that they can pick up. It’s crazy.”

While the experience has given Petra an insight into problems suffered by ordinary women, she has also had to cope with worries specific to being ultra-rich.

With father Bernie, 88, worth £2.5billion, Petra is constantly surrounded by minders in case of a kidnap attempt. She said: “We had loads of threats against us.

“We’ve had people throwing fire through my door, vandalising the house and I’ve had kidnap threats.

“When I was nine or ten, my dad had a horrible kidnap threat for me.

“People will do anything for money. I get begging letters every week. It’s so sad because you can’t help every single person, but what are you going to do — send money to every single person who writes to you? You can’t.

“Obviously I am privileged to have so much money, but it comes with so much. I can’t really explain it, but there’s so much responsibility with it.”

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