The familiarity of having a husband-even though you may not have got on in the end, is still a form of loss when it’s gone. It can leave a gap, as it was part of your identity for 30 years, which is a long time and a massive change when that person was no longer in your life day-to-day.

When we marry, we hope things will be great. We’re raised on ‘happily ever after’ fairytales of the princess being wooed and swept off her feet by a handsome prince. Unfortunately, real life is rarely as poetic and when a long-term marriage ends, we can grieve the loss, not just of the relationship we’d hoped for that didn’t turn out that romantic way, but also the initial plans you had for a positive future with your husband, suddenly no longer exist and we can feel cheated/lost.