Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch and wife Sophie Hunter become parents for second time

Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter have become parents for the second time after Ms Hunter gave birth to a son earlier in the month, according to reports.

The Sherlock actor and his theatre director wife are reported to have welcomed a son on March 3 at London's private Portland Hospital.

The Mail on Sunday claimed the couple have named their new addition Hal Auden.

The name is believed to be a nod to Shakespeare, as the playwright used the name Prince Hal to portray a younger version of Henry V in his works.

It could also be in honour of Cumberbatch's close friend actor Tom Hiddleston, who played the role of Hal in the BBC's The Hollow Crown, a series of adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays.

​Cumberbatch, 40, and Hunter, 39, confirmed they were expecting another child in October and, at the time, their spokeswoman said that "everybody is absolutely thrilled".

They are also parents to son Christopher Carlton, who was born in June 2015.

Oscar-nominated actor Cumberbatch and Hunter married on Valentine's Day in 2015 after announcing their engagement in The Times newspaper a few months earlier.

A representative for Cumberbatch has been contacted by the Press Association.