Kate Winslet is enjoying an "intense" relationship with her boyfriend with marriage seemingly on the cards.

The British actress has been dating Ned Rocknroll for around eight months and it's been claimed they are ready to take the next step. Ned is the nephew of Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson and met Kate on his uncle's exquisite Necker Island.

The pair have hardly spent any time apart since they first met, with Ned even rumoured to have popped the question in January.

"It's been pretty intense from the word go. Kate is a hopeless romantic and has never been afraid to rush into things if it feels right. They've barely spent a day apart since they met and when Kate falls for someone, she falls hard," a source told the British edition of Grazia magazine.

Ned's cousin Holly Branson got married on Necker Island last year and it was that ceremony which apparently convinced him Kate is the right woman for him.

"He said he got really caught up in the romance of it all and decided that he wanted to make that commitment with Kate," another insider added.

Last October it was reported that the happy couple were considering exchanging vows, while in January Kate spoke openly about her thoughts on marriage. She was been wed twice but going through the divorces has done nothing to dampen her feelings about romance.

"I still believe in the beauty of committing yourself to another person and, at least, in the idea of marriage as an expression of that commitment," she explained.

"Living with someone will always be a challenge, but you hope to be able to find someone whom you can spend the rest of your days."