Kate Beckinsale has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her late stepfather on what would have been his 88th birthday. Roy Battersby died on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, and on April 20, Kate took to Instagram to honor Roy and reminisce on their lives.
"The birthday we didn’t know was your last / There will be no FaceTime today / In the middle of my night ,watching you open your presents / No one received gifts with more joy," she wrote in the form of a poem.
"I can’t take my Christmas trees down- / They were the last Christmas trees I’ll decorate with you in the world / This birthday/not birthday / Christmas/not Christmas / In April / Oh Roy, Oh God I miss you."
The post comes as Kate herself has been battling an unknown illness. The Serendipity actress posted photos of herself in hospital on March 11, the day after Mother's Day in the UK, without revealing exactly why she'd been away.
In the weeks since she has hinted that she was dealing with "tummy troubles" after sharing a photo of herself wearing a t-shirt that read: "Tummy Troubles Survivor".
© InstagramThe carousel of pictures showed Roy walking through an Orangery, while a second saw him reading a birthday card sat at a table surrounded by opened cards.
"To remember someone like this is to have loved very deeply," commented one fan, while Paris Hilton also shared her love. Roy was a beloved director of British television whose filmography stretched back to the 1960s; he directed episodes of Britain's best loved shows, like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, and Between the Lines. In 1996 he won the Alan Clarke Award at the BAFTAs for his outstanding contribution to television.
"It is with great sorrow that the family of film and television director Roy Battersby announce the news of his recent death after a brief period of illness", the announcement of his death read.
"He passed away peacefully on 10 January 2024, in Los Angeles surrounded by family, aged 87. Funeral will be held in London, details to follow."
© InstagramHe married Kate's mother Judy Loe in 1997; her father, Richard Beckinsale died of a heart attack when Kate was five. The same year Judy and Roy wed, Kate told The Independent that she "couldn't have knitted a better" stepfather, revealing that he knew Kate was a "traumatized little person".
She continued that he "didn't expect this idyllic little girl in plaits who'd be nice to him. I wasn't sure whether I wanted my mom to marry anyone else… And I certainly didn't want any brothers. Roy had four sons and one daughter. I wasn't in a boy mood. He's been so brilliant. He wasn't pushy, he let me come to him."
