Saturday 13 August 2022 10:43 PM Sadness of Britain's foremost Catholic duke as he gives up eight-year battle to ... trends now
After 34 years of marriage, the Duke of Norfolk has confirmed his divorce has been finalised, saying: 'It's just terribly sad.'
The staunchly Roman Catholic Duke, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, said both he and Georgina had tried to save the union but they were splitting 'amicably' now their children are adults.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, the Duke – who will eventually have the job of organising Prince Charles's coronation – said: 'By God we tried. For the sake of the family, and because we are Catholic, we really, really tried everything. It proved completely impossible and we had to move on.
'The final divorce bit was instigated a year ago and now it's finally come through. It's just terribly sad, but we have to move on for the sake of the children – we can't go on putting them through this.'
Duke Edward Fitzalan-Howard and Duchess Georgina Fitzalan-Howard at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood, Surrey on 13 Jul 2003. After 34 years of marriage they have confirmed their divorce
Edward and Georgina spotted leaving The Ivy Chelsea Garden after enjoying a spot of dinner with their family
The Duke, who is worth £100 million, will also keep Arundel Castle, the 1,000-year-old ancestral home in West Sussex
The Duchess, 60, has kept the couple's Angmering Park House and 100 acres of the estate, which forms a small part of 16,000 acres owned by the Duke on the South Downs.
He lives less than two miles away at Peppering Farm, a property which was once occupied and decorated by the Duchess during one of their trial separations.
The Duke, who is worth £100 million, will also keep Arundel Castle, the 1,000-year-old ancestral home in West Sussex.
The couple married in 1987 and have five children, now aged between 24 and 33. They separated in 2011, much to the sadness of close friends and family, and the split was said to be so acrimonious that they missed the Royal Wedding of William and Kate to avoid being in the same room as each other.
By 2016 they were back together, just before the wedding of their eldest son Henry, who will one day take on the prestigious title of 19th Duke of Norfolk.
The Queen, a close friend of both the Duke and the Duchess, was said to be delighted at
