Dame Judi Dench was a supportive partner as David Mills won his honorary fellowship for conservation.
The actress, 86, beamed as she stood alongside her partner, 77, as he collected his fellowship at the University Of Winchester in recognition of his conservation work, following on from his 2016 MBE for services to wildlife conservation.
David founded the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey 21 year ago. This zoo has a collection with native wildlife and is Britain’s largest red squirrel breeder.
Alan Titchmarsh (72), is a chancellor at University, where Judi received an honorary Doctorate in 2019.
An honour: Dame Judi Dench was every inch the supportive partner on Thursday as her partner David Mills scooped his honorary fellowship for conservation work
David, a former dairy farmer who founded the British Wildlife Centre, couldn’t contain his joy when he took a picture with the eminent actress.
During the ceremony, Michael Wood, an historian, was also acknowledged by the university.
Judi met her conservationist friend, who lives only a few miles from her, when he asked her to help open the new badger enclosure at Surrey Zoo.
Judi maintained that they would not continue their long-lasting union. She said in 2017: ‘He’s not going to propose. No, no, no, no, no! Let’s all just pull ourselves together and be our age!..
An honour: The actress, 86, beamed as she stood alongside her partner, 77, as he collected his fellowship at the University Of Winchester in recognition of his conservation work, following on from his 2016 MBE for services to wildlife conservation
Happy days: The couple were joined by Alan Titchmarsh, 72, who is a chancellor at the university, where Judi received an honorary doctorate in 2019 (Judi, Alan and historian Michael Wood are pictured)
‘I have a jolly nice friend now. I don’t know what the word is because I don’t like the word partner. Partner is a term that has to do dancing. Partner – horrible word. What is a friend? No. Boyfriend? No. Chap? Will chap do?’
She told Good Housekeeping: ‘One hot night during the summer, we swam and then had a glass of Champagne in the garden and I said, this is so fantastic!
‘But perhaps if I was a romantic, I’d have been cool and calm about it. I get a bit excited about things. I love a good laugh… Humour is the best thing. It’s essential.’
The happy couple: Judi met her conservationist partner, who lives just a few miles away from her, back in 2010 when he asked her to open the new badger enclosure at Surrey Zoo (pictured in 2019)
Dame Judi was married for 30 years to Michael Williams, her costar in the sitcom A Fine Romance. He died of lung cancer in 2001, and the actress has previously said she did not think ‘for a second’ she would find someone again.
After meeting David, she said in 2015: ‘It’s wonderful to be in love. That state when you’re glad to see somebody and they make you laugh and you just like being with’.
The actress, who has one daughter, also revealed she wishes she had had ‘lots more children’.
She said: ‘I had planned to have six. It was simple! The rewards you get from it. Finty (her daughter) and I are so close, and also Sammy (her grandson).’
Her love: After meeting David, she said in 2015: ‘It’s wonderful to be in love. That state when you’re glad to see somebody and they make you laugh and you just like being with’ (pictured earlier this year)