Miriam Margolyes has announced she will leave the UK to settle in Italy with her long-term partner Heather Sutherland, marking the first time the couple will actually live together after nearly six decades apart.
The Harry Potter star, now 84, has been with Heather, 82, since 1968, but they have always lived in different countries — Miriam in London and Heather in Amsterdam. That is about to change, as the pair plan to make Tuscany their permanent home. Miriam bought a property near Siena back in 1973, and now, after serious health issues, she says it is time to enjoy life together in one place.
Speaking to The Observer, Miriam admitted: “The world around us has lost its charm. We just want each other in a beautiful place we know. We can toddle along and laugh and quietly subside into old age, but together. Life has gone so fast.”
Her decision follows a major heart procedure last year when she underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement to avoid open-heart surgery. She has also revealed she is registered disabled due to spinal stenosis, which leaves her struggling to walk. Miriam now relies on two sticks, a walker and even a mobility scooter.
Despite the setbacks, she remains candid and humorous about her condition. In an interview, she admitted: “I am fat. To be fat at 82 is truly pathetic.” She also confessed she worries about not having enough money to pay for carers if her health declines further.
Miriam and Heather first met through a mutual friend while working on a BBC radio drama shortly after Miriam graduated from Cambridge. Heather, an Australian historian and retired professor, has always preferred a private life, in contrast to Miriam’s outspoken personality.
In her autobiography, Miriam described Heather as her “polar opposite — reticent, incredibly private and reserved.” Yet their relationship has endured for 57 years. Miriam has always credited honesty and loyalty as the secrets to their love. She once said: “Never let the sun set on a quarrel, listen to the other person, and cherish what you have. I think adultery is nonsense. Be happy with what you’ve got.”
Now, the couple look forward to finally sharing a home, laughter, and the quiet of Tuscany as they face old age — together at last.
