Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Billionaire estate owner thanks Highland public for support following death of children in Sri Lanka terrorism attack

Anders Holch Povlsen
Anders Holch Povlsen

Billionaire estate owner Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife have spoken for the first time about the tragic deaths of three of their children in the Easter Sunday terrorist bombing in Ski Lanka.

The Danish fashion magnate and Scotland’s biggest private landowner has, with his wife and business partner Anne, thanked the Highland public for “touching our hearts” following the barbaric Easter Sunday killings last month.

The Povlsens’ poignant thanks come in a statement in today’s edition of the Press and Journal – headlined with “A A A” in memory of their children Alfred, Agnes and Alma who died.

They say: “We extend our heartfelt gratitude for the condolences, sympathy and many warming thoughts we have received following the tragic loss of our three beloved and beautiful children.

“The Scottish Highlands has granted us abiding, special memories for our family. It is for this reason that the many words of comfort have fortified us and touched our hearts.

“Our thoughts and condolences go to the many other innocent families who also lost their loved ones in the tragedy in Sri Lanka.

“In the immense sadness, we are genuinely grateful that we remain united with our daughter Astrid.

“The loving memory of our three children, their wonderful spirit and souls will always be in our hearts.

“With love and deepest appreciation, Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen.”

Tributes poured in after the deaths were reported following the Sri Lanka attack.

Saltire flags flew at half-mast on Highland estates belonging to the retail tycoon and his wife, including the place they regard their Scottish home at Glenfeshie in the Cairngorms.

Strathspey Councillor Bill Lobban said: “It has been a horror story for this hugely popular family.

“The pain and sorrow being endured by the Povlsen family is unimaginable to most of us. However the people of the Highlands feel their pain and hope that the passing of time will lessen the heartache they are feeling.”

Holch Povlsen is owner of international clothing chain Bestseller and the biggest shareholder in fashion retailer Asos. He has acquired around a dozen Highland estates over the years.


>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter


He is Denmark’s wealthiest man and, with his wife Anne, holds more than 200,000 acres of the Scottish Highlands.

They set up the company Wildland in 2007 with the stated aim of restoring and conserving landscapes for future generations.

He has stated his intention of reintroducing wild animals to Scotland, including wolves and lynx.

Mr Holch Povlsen has a net worth of 7.9 billion US dollars (£6.1bn), according to Forbes.