Michael Palin announces his beloved wife Helen has died

Michael Palin announces his beloved wife Helen has died… just weeks after the childhood sweethearts marked their 57th wedding anniversary

• The actor, 79, confirmed the news in a post shared to his website on Tuesday, announcing that Helen had died in the early hours of the morning 
• He said her death was an ‘indescribable loss’ for himself,  their three children – Thomas, 54, William, 52, and Rachel, 48 – and four grandchildren 
• Michael has previously spoken about her struggles with chronic pain, as well as his own recent heart surgery

Michael has announced his beloved wife of 57 years Helen has sadly died after suffering with chronic pain and kidney failure.

The actor, 79, confirmed the devastating news in a post shared to his official website on Tuesday, announcing that Helen had died in the early hours of the morning.

He described her as the ‘bedrock of my life’ and said her death was an ‘indescribable loss’ for himself and their three children – Thomas, 54, William, 52, and Rachel, 48.

The Monty Python star shared that Helen had been suffering with chronic pain for a few years and had been diagnosed with kidney failure before her death.

The couple met when they were 16 years old and married just years later in 1966, marking their 57th wedding anniversary just weeks before Helen passed away.

Loss: Michael has announced his beloved wife Helen (both pictured in April 2005) has sadly died after suffering with chronic pain and kidney failure

Sad news: The actor, 79, confirmed the devastating news in a post shared to his official website on Tuesday, announcing that Helen had died in the early hours of the morning

Grief: He described her as the ‘bedrock of my life’ and said her death was an ‘indescribable loss’ for himself and their three children – Thomas, 54, William, 52, and Rachel, 48

Announcing the news on his blog, Michael shared a selfie of them together and wrote: ‘My dearest wife Helen died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

‘She had been suffering with chronic pain for several years, which was compounded a few years ago by a diagnosis of kidney failure.

‘We first met on a summer holiday on the Suffolk coast when we were both sixteen and we married in our early twenties. Two and a half weeks ago we celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary.

‘Her death is an indescribable loss for myself, our three children and four grandchildren.

‘Helen was the bedrock of my life. Her quietly wise judgment informed all my decisions and her humour and practical good sense was was at the heart of our life together.

‘The family ask that their privacy be respected at this time.’

Michael and Helen first met when they were both on a summer holiday on the Suffolk coast as teenagers and married after a six-year relationship.

During their 57-year marriage, the childhood sweethearts went on to welcome three children together and have four beloved grandchildren.

Wedding: Michael and Helen married in 1966 (pictured) when they were in their early 20s after a six-year relationship

Relationship: The couple (pictured in 1989) met when they were just 16 years old and marked their 57th wedding anniversary just weeks before Helen’s death 

Health: Michael shared that Helen (pictured in 2015) had been suffering with chronic pain for a few years and had been diagnosed with kidney failure before her death

Family: During their 57-year marriage, the childhood sweethearts went on to welcome three children together – Thomas, 54, William, 52, and Rachel, 48 (pictured in 1980) 

Last September, Michael spoke about Helen’s ill-health as he shared that she had been moved into respite care from the home they had shared for 50 years.

He explained that she had not been responding to medication for her chronic pain, saying they had moved her to help her ‘manage’ her symptoms.

The comedian told the Telegraph at the time: ‘I don’t think you can cure it, but they will help her manage it. 

‘It’s such a bore. She was so active and still is mentally. But the body is declining. We live life with our fingers crossed.’

Michael has also addressed his own health in recent years and spoke about undergoing heart surgery in 2019 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In December 2020, Michael compared the coronavirus lockdown to a ‘huge doctor’s note’ following his operation.

He said he accepted having to remain in his home quite happily, particularly after being away while filming his show Travels of a Lifetime.

Speaking to Radio Times, he said: ‘The great surprise is that I’ve been extremely content to be in the same place for some time.

‘I had heart surgery last September and was told to have rest and recuperation – then lockdown came along. I accepted it rather happily, it’s been like a huge doctor’s note. 

‘Anyway, coming home has always been the best part of the process. We live near Hampstead Heath in London and near friends.’

Michael had previously admitted how his recent heart scare reminded him that his body ‘isn’t indestructible’.

He underwent a heart operation to fix a ‘leaky mitral valve’ after he was advised by doctors to have it repaired.

He penned on his blog: ‘My heart scare reminded me that my body isn’t indestructible and if I want to keep it that way I must know when to stop working as well as when to start again.

‘Over the last year I discovered a rather enjoyable equilibrium, a balance between work and relaxation that for the first time in my life favoured the latter.’

Candid: Last September, Michael (pictured in 2009) spoke about Helen’s ill-health as he shared that she had been moved into respite care from the home they had shared for 50 years

Romance: Michael and Helen (pictured in July 1993) first met when they were both on a summer holiday on the Suffolk coast as teenagers and married after a six-year relationship

Relationship: The couple (pictured in January 1986) also have four grandchildren 

He added: ‘After forty years I’ve given up running, and taken to long walks instead. Running was a a fierce and competitive fight with myself, justified largely by how good I felt afterwards. Walking is something to enjoy at the time.’ 

The mitral valve is a small flap in the heart that stops blood flowing the wrong way. If damaged, it can affect how blood flows around the body.

A ‘leaky’ mitral valve is the nickname for a condition called mitral regurgitation, when it doesn’t close tightly enough and blood goes the wrong way.

This puts a strain on the heart and often causes symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue, according to Harvard Medical School.

Source: Read Full Article