FORMER BEATLE SIR Paul McCartney has announced he is engaged to girlfriend Nancy Shevell whom he has been dating since 2007.

Macca, as he affectionately known, will marry New York socialite Nancy Shevell according to his publicist who told AP “we’re all thrilled for him.”

This will be the 68-year-old’s third marriage having previously been married to photographer, musician and activist Linda McCartney, who died of cancer in 1998, and Heather Mills, whom he endured an acrimonious multi-million pound divorce from in 2008, having separated in 2006.

Despite the unsavoury end to his recent marriage, McCartney appeared to remain optimistic about life and affairs of the heart, reportedly commenting on his romance with Shevell: “I just like being in love,” reports The Times (subscription).

Despite their 17-year age difference, a source close to the couple told People magazine they were a perfect pair:

They have the right chemistry. They’re both cool, chilled out and optimistic.

As well as being a socialite, Shevell is reported to sit on the board of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and gets on well with Sir Paul’s five children.

She was previously married for more than 20 years to lawyer Bruce Blakeman.

McCartney and Shevell started seeing each other in Long Island’s Hamptons area in late 2007.

- additional reporting from AP