Mariah Carey is engaged to Australian billionaire James Packer

This will be her third marriage

Mariah Carey has revealed her engagement to Australian billionaire James Packer, after less than a year of dating.

A spokesperson for the 45-year-old star confirmed the engagement had taken place on Thursday evening in New York.

Casino owner James, 47, who has been dating the mother of two since last summer, arranged for a private dinner at the Eleven Madison restaurant in the city surrounded by her closest family and friends, where he popped the question.

He presented her with a ring that's reportedly made of a 35 carat diamond.

This will be the third marriage for both James and Mariah - the singer split from her ex-husband record producer Nick Cannon in 2014.

The five-time Grammy award winner has four-year-old non-identical twins from her marriage to Nick, Moroccan and Monroe.

Moroccan and Monroe

Business mogul James has three children of his own – Indigo, seven, Jackson, five and Emmanuelle, three, from his second marriage which ended in 2007.

The celebrity pair first met at an exclusive ski resort in Aspen, Colorado at a film premiere for Hercules.

Mariah, whose net worth is estimated at $500 million, said; 'We were talking and laughing and people were getting mad at us and stuff like that. So we hit it off.'

Several months later they officially confirmed their couple status while on a sailing holiday on the Italian island of Capri on James' private yacht.

Mariah was clearly smitten when she told Australian fans at a concert in Melbourne; 'Spectacular, handsome... I don't even have the words for the man who introduced me tonight. We'll just say the amazing Mr James Packer.'

Mariah and ex-husband Nick Cannon

Between 1993 and 1998 Mariah was married to music mogul Tommy Mottola. No further details about a wedding date have been released yet.

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for parents. At GoodtoKnow, our mission is 'simple': we're trying to make sense of parenthood. On the site, you'll find everything you need for a happy, healthy family life. Our huge archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles and 1,500 how-to videos. These include expert-backed advice features on parenting, dealing with relationship changes after having a baby, self-care for mums and managing your family finances. We also feature tried-and-tested product reviews and buying recommendations for every stage of family life - from prams and Moses baskets to birthday gifts and top toys.