Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville split from his wife in 2023 after a long marriage21:07, 11 Jul 2026Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville has found love again.‌The Earl of Grantham actor was photographed recently enjoying the opening day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2026 with his new partner which comes three years after he split from his wife, whom he first met when they were teenagers.‌As well as being settled again in his personal life, London-born Hugh continues to enjoy success in his career, which includes roles in the Paddington movies and TV hits like Twenty Twenty Six, The Gold, Douglas Is Cancelled and, of course, Downton Abbey.‌As the first of the Downton Abbey films is screened on ITV1, we look at the star's life off-screen.Split from childhood sweetheartHugh was married for more than two decades to Lulu Williams.‌The pair first met as teenagers and were brought back together decades later by a bit of matchmaking from the actor’s mother.“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 recalled to the Mirror.Together, Hugh and Lulu built a life in West Sussex, raising their son Felix. But in 2023, the pair went their separate ways after more than two decades of marriage.‌New romanceFollowing his break up, Hugh was briefly linked with Canadian actress Claire Rankin, known for roles in Molly’s Game and Ally McBeal, though neither addressed the speculation. It was later revealed that he was in a relationship with vegan influencer Heidi Kadlecova, whom he reportedly met through the cast and crew while working on the movie Go Away!At the time, the Mirror reported that the pair were seen sharing affectionate moments on set, and their relationship quickly blossomed. They made their first public appearance as a couple at the premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, last September.‌Just weeks ago, Heidi shared a photo on her official Instagram account of the couple all dressed up and looking loved up 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 & cream! Brilliant matches!"Tragic losses‌Hugh lost three members of his family all within a short space of time - his mum, dad and brother.His mum, Patricia, died in 2014 at age 85 and two years later, tragedy struck again when his brother Nigel died unexpectedly in his sleep. His father, John - who had been a surgeon - passed away in 2020 at the age of 93 after a long battle with dementia.The actor shared with 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.Article continues below"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