I want Daddy to have lots of girlfriends ...but, Damian, do try not to snog anyone at the funeral

HELEN McCRORY TOLD FAMILY...

- NICOLA METHVEN

AS actress Helen McCrory prepared for death at the age of 52, she gave her husband and their two children the greatest gift she possibly could, the courage to go on living and loving without her.

In a poignant and moving tribute to his wife of 14 years, the actor Damian Lewis said Helen’s “most exquisite act of bravery and generosity” had been her ability to “normalise” her death for her family.

And that included joking about her husband’s future relationships as she chatted to Damian, their son Gulliver, 13, and daughter Manon, 14.

The 50-year-old Homeland actor said: “She said to us from her bed, ‘I want Daddy to have girlfriends, lots of them, you must all love again, love isn’t possessive.

“‘But you know, Damian, try at least to get through the funeral without snogging someone’.”

Helen, who had cancer, died on Friday, and in his tribute in the Sunday Times, Damian wrote: “She’s shown no fear, no bitterness, no self-pity, only armed us with the courage to go on and insisted that no one be sad, because she is happy.

“I’m staggered by her. She’s been a meteor in our life.”