Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville has been enjoying some downtime with his other half.
The Earl of Grantham actor was spotted recently at the opening day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2026 with his new partner, three years on from separating from his wife, whom he originally met during their teenage years.
Alongside finding happiness in his personal life once more, the London-born actor maintains a flourishing career, featuring in the Paddington film franchise and television successes including Twenty Twenty Six, The Gold, Douglas Is Cancelled and, of course, Downton Abbey.
As ITV1 broadcasts the first Downton Abbey film, we examine the actor’s life away from the cameras.
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Hugh with his former wife Lulu Williams(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Hugh’s marriage to Lulu Williams lasted over 20 years.
The couple initially met as teenagers before being reunited decades afterwards through some matchmaking by the actor’s mother, reports the Mirror.
“Lulu was running a marquee company… my mother rang her to hire some chairs or something and said, ‘Do you remember Hugh?’ and that was how we reconnected. It did infuriate me that I had to give full credit to my mum for reintroducing us,” Hugh previously told the Mirror.
The couple established their home in West Sussex, where they raised their son Felix. However, in 2023, they parted ways after more than twenty years together.
Love life
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Hugh with partner Heidi(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
After the split, Hugh was briefly linked to Canadian actress Claire Rankin, recognised for her work in Molly’s Game and Ally McBeal, although neither confirmed the rumours. Subsequently, it emerged that he had begun dating vegan influencer Heidi Kadlecova, whom he allegedly encountered through colleagues while filming Go Away!
At the time, the Mirror reported that the duo were spotted displaying affection on set, with their romance developing rapidly. They stepped out together publicly for the first time at the premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale last September.
Only weeks ago, Heidi posted a photograph on her official Instagram account showing the pair dressed elegantly and appearing smitten on the opening day of this year’s Wimbledon.
She captioned it: “What an incredible opening day @wimbledon! Thank you @rolex for hosting us, for the behind the scenes tour of the grounds and the endless Pimms, Champagne, and strawberries and cream! Brilliant matches!”.
Family loss
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Hugh as the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey(Image: ITV)
Hugh experienced the deaths of three family members within a brief period – his mother, father and brother.
His mother, Patricia, passed away in 2014 aged 85, and two years afterwards, heartbreak struck once more when his brother Nigel died suddenly in his sleep. His father, John – who had worked as a surgeon – died in 2020 aged 93 following a lengthy struggle with dementia.
The actor revealed to Saga Magazine: “The admin of the funeral and everything numbed the grief for a while. I didn’t read any of the letters of commiseration or condolence we received until a year later, when I took them all with me to India.
“I was doing a film but had one weekend off, so I went on my own to this incredibly peaceful, quiet hotel in the middle of nowhere and read all the letters and absolutely let it all out. All the emotion. That was a very cathartic thing.”
Downton Abbey: A New Era is on ITV1 on Sunday, July 12 at 6.30pm