Revealed: The South African Rhodes scholar who has won Harry Potter star Emma Watson’s heart – as she is seen showing off diamond ring

Emma Watson wore a vintage-style diamond ring on her wedding finger at Paris Fashion Week, sparking global speculation that she was about to announce her engagement and sparking curiosity about her fiancée.

Kieran Brown, whom she has been with for a year now, has previously dated Bill Clinton, Theodore Roosevelt and Dr. We can reveal that he was a South African who was awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholar status at Oxford by the likes of Martin Luther King.

Dr Brown, now formally recognized after obtaining his PhD, grew up in Cape Town and moved to Oxford to further his academic career and is now a qualified lecturer.

Brown took the Harry Potter actress for an extended holiday to the bohemian part of Cape Town where she grew up and where her family still lives, and it appeared they got serious during that time.

A source in South Africa said: ‘Emma rented a house in a secure development in Noordhoek for a few weeks.

‘This is a seaside suburb of Cape Town with a laid-back hippie vibe, which clearly suits him taking a long break to recharge.

‘She was just giving yoga classes or something and probably bonding with Kieran behind closed doors.

‘Noordhoek is only a short distance from Claremont where Kieran is at school and he will know the area well and will likely recommend it.’

Now the Mail can reveal the man who captured Watson’s heart is a South African who has been awarded prestigious Rhodes scholar status at Oxford University.

Watson sparked global speculation that she was about to announce her engagement when she wore a vintage-style diamond ring on her wedding finger at Paris Fashion Week.

The actress, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, wore an impressive vintage-style sparkler featuring a large diamond on her ring finger.

The 35-year-old Harry Potter star was first linked to Brown last October when they were spotted kissing during a date in Oxford.

The duo were photographed together in Oxford for the second time in July this year, this time at a bakery in the university town.

It is understood their extended break in South Africa took place between two dates they had inadvertently hidden.

While Kieran is understood to be of Jewish origin, his famous girlfriend was openly accused of antisemitism by Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations after she posted a message in support of the Palestinian cause.

She has also been embroiled in an ongoing public dispute with her Harry Potter mentor JK Rowling over their very different views on trans and women’s rights.

The Cape Town source added: ‘Emma has been involved in some fights so she seemed to enjoy being out of the spotlight by doing calming things like yoga.

‘They were very careful to keep their relationship secret; They were not reported during their stay in South Africa.

‘But this low profile has led to Kieran being repeatedly described as ‘a fellow student’; But he is much more than that: he is a highly accomplished and highly respected academic.’

Kieran, who received his PhD, is now a lecturer and researcher in literature and economics at Somerville College, Oxford.

Watson is studying a DPhil (equivalent to a PhD) in creative writing at Oxford’s New College, whose 14th-century buildings, ironically, once served as a film location for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Watson’s love interest is Kieran Brown, or rather, Dr. Brown. He is currently a lecturer and researcher in literature and economics at Somerville College, Oxford.

Brown is said to have cemented his romance with the Harry Potter actress by taking her for an extended holiday to Cape Town, where he grew up and where his family still lives.

It remains unclear where and how they met, as Watson is very guarded about her private life and Brown is not a social media poster.

In his spare time, Dr Brown consults on ‘economic development, green energy and industrialisation’.

He received his PhD in English from Hertford College, Oxford, in November last year, and completed his MA in English (with distinction) at the University of Oxford in 2020.

He had previously achieved another success with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics while studying at the University of Cape Town, the city where he grew up.

He won his place at Oxford after being selected as part of the prestigious Rhodes Trust Scholarship, a fully-funded postgraduate award awarded to talented young people from around the world to study at the university.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron and singer and actor Kris Kristofferson were other recipients of the award.

Kieran lives in the UK with one of the world’s most famous actresses, while his family, including brother Jaimen and sister Kayla, continue to live in the Western Cape, South Africa.

His father, Andrew, works as a reserve sergeant for the South African Police authorities, where he volunteers his services without being paid.

Like his son, he is a talented writer; He has written five novels, including one about the Rwandan genocide, as well as a biography of his time working for the police, called Good Cop Bad Cop.

In 2006 Andrew won the 2006 Sunday Times Prize for Fiction for his novel Cold Sleep Lullaby.

Watson has been at the center of a long-running bitter feud with Harry Potter mentor JK Rowling over their very different views on trans rights and women’s rights

Watson, who was photographed with Rowling in 2011, criticized the author and said she had ‘poured more fuel on the flames’ and further contributed to death threats and harassment

Kieran’s mother, Patti, is the project manager for the Schools Improvement Initiative at the University of Cape Town, where she has worked since 2012.

Like his son, he was studying Philosophy at university.

When the Daily Mail contacted Patti to congratulate her on her son’s apparent engagement, she politely declined to comment.

Kieran’s brother, Jaimen, is an urgent care practitioner with Metro Emergency Medical Services.

He studied at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and is an avid skateboarder.

Her sister Kayla, known by her stage name Kayla The Crow, is a singer and songwriter specializing in pop and psychedelic rock.

He regularly plays at festivals in Cape Town and concerts in South Africa.

Kayla’s tracks can be listened to on Spotify; His most popular song is Sunrise on the River, which has been streamed more than 33,000 times.

One music critic described Kayla’s music as “a landscape of emotion, from moody, haunting vocals to guitar riffs that cut like sunlight through fog.”

They added: ‘He is an artist who feels every note, every word, and makes you feel it too. Watching her perform is like witnessing a storm and a whisper at the same time.’

Kieran’s grandmother, Marlene, was the founding director of education for the South African Holocaust Foundation.

He retired in 2010 after serving in this position for three years.

In 1999 he was appointed as the first Director of Education for the Cape Town Holocaust Centre.

At the farewell ceremony, it was announced that the ‘Marlene Silbert Holocaust and Human Rights Education Award’ would be given in her honor for her pioneering work in this field in South Africa.

Watson previously visited South Africa in 2017 to reunite with her Harry Potter co-star and former ‘lover’ Tom Felton.

Brown is believed to have taken his girlfriend to meet his family in South Africa, including her father Andrew, who works as a reserve sergeant for the South African Police authorities.

Kieran pictured with his father Andrew (left) and mother Patti (right)

Kieran (pictured with his father) is said to be close to his family in South Africa and wants Emma to fall in love with the country where he grew up. A source said Emma had rented a house in a gated community in Cape Town’s seaside suburb of Noordhoek, which has a quiet hippie vibe.

Emma started dating Kieran last year following her split from previous boyfriend Brandon Green (right), the son of controversial businessman Sir Philip.

The pair, who play Hermione Granger and boy wizard series villain Draco Malfoy, were seen enjoying an impromptu guitar lesson, which Tom shared on Instagram.

The actress’s affinity for the country is also evident on her Instagram page, which has 78.2 million followers, where she pays tribute to South African bishop Desmond Tutu following his death at Christmas 2021.

He wrote: ‘We say goodbye to another legend in 2021. Desmond Tutu, your voice for justice will always ring in the heavens.’

Emma started dating Kieran last year after splitting from previous boyfriend Brandon Green, the son of controversial businessman Sir Philip.