It’s hard to keep up with the number of celebrity splits. I wonder if couples can learn a right royal lesson in relationships
There have been so many celebrity break-ups in the past couple of weeks it’s hard to keep up.
Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux have split up after just two years of marriage and rumours abound that Cheryl and Liam Payne are on the rocks.
The saddest one of all though is that Claire Foy, who was faultless playing the Queen in The Crown is to separate from her husband Stephen Campbell Moore.
She recently revealed that fellow actor Stephen had to have life-saving surgery on a brain tumour, and that during filming for the second series of The Crown she was constantly worried about him.
Then, just a few days ago, they announced their marriage had come to an end, and they had actually decided to split some months ago.
It’s such a shame, because they have been through so much together since meeting on the set of the movie Season Of The Witch in 2011. They also have a twoyear-old daughter Ivy Rose.
It’s all very civilised and they are both grown-ups who will try to work things out to make sure their daughter grows up knowing both mum and dad love her.
I’m sure they tried very hard, but you can’t help but compare Claire’s real life to that of the Queen. Her Majesty and Prince Philip have been married for 70 years and as we saw in The Crown at times that their marriage was a turbulent one.
Prince Philip is a real alpha male and, in the early years, he resented the fact he would always be second place to his wife. He didn’t even get to live where he wanted to, he had to give up his beloved role in the Navy and was frustrated at being little more than someone who “smiled and waved”.
The couple argued over how to bring up the children with Philip getting his way and sending Prince Charles to the rough and tumble of Gordonstoun in the Highlands, instead of Eton. Sensitive Charles hated his time there and it caused a deep rift in the relationship with his father.
Somehow the royal couple have stayed together and now they are both in their 90s, they seem stronger than ever.
Now, I don’t think anyone should ever stay in a marriage where they are utterly miserable, and obviously should leave if there’s any physical or emotional abuse, but I do think some couples these days don’t try hard enough to stay together.
Divorce is a lot easier now, and that is no bad thing in some cases, but there are too many young couples in particular who split up over a trivial row and don’t try to sort things out.
No one really knows what goes on inside anyone’s relationship behind closed doors, but every marriage has its up and downs and overcoming those problems is what makes you stronger.
I’m sad for Claire and Stephen because they obviously still have a lot of love and respect for one another.
Perhaps there might still be a chance to sort things out in the future when the dust settles. I hope so.
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Claire and Stephen clearly still have a lot of love for one another