and her late husband Michael Williams shared a love story that lasted for three decades.
But before their wedding in 1971, the couple faced a unique challenge: blending their different religious backgrounds into one ceremony that felt inclusive for all the attendees.
On Trinny Woodall’s podcast, Fearless, Judi recalled how her Quaker beliefs and Michael’s Catholic faith raised concerns about their wedding.
She explained: “We wanted to be married in the Catholic church in Hampstead, which is right by my house. Gradually, as we got nearer it, [we wondered] what kind of thing wouldn’t make people feel divided, but we’d all come together?”
The couple found a solution to their problem with the help of Father Tom Corbishley, the master of Campion Hall, and Joseph McCullough, a rector and family friend.
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Dame Judi Dench tied the knot to Michael Williams in 1971 (Image: Getty)
Reflecting on her big day, Judi shared that during a pivotal dinner, Father Tom invited them to visit his chapel. She went on: “He gave us communion… After that, nothing mattered.
“Suddenly any anxiety – he took away the whole thing about any difference anyone in the congregation would feel.” This moment brought the pair peace and paved the way for their special union celebrated with their nearest and dearest.
Judi and Michael first met as co-stars in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Duchess of Malfi. Michael, a Liverpool-born actor who trained at RADA, had an illustrious career across the stage, television, and film.
He starred in productions such as Educating Rita and Henry V, but he and Judi are perhaps best remembered for their roles in the sitcom, A Fine Romance.
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The couple were together for over three decades (Image: Getty)
It comes after Judi told in 2022 that laughter was the foundation of their relationship. She gushed: “Michael used to laugh, and when he laughed, he used to cry.
“Interest in the same things is important, of course, but what is it? It’s impossible to tell.” The couple welcomed their daughter, Tara Cressida Williams, known as Finty, in 1972.
Following in her parents’ footsteps, Finty became an actor and voice artist. Tragedy struck the family when Michael’s life was sadly cut short by lung cancer in 2001 when he died at the age of 65.
Just a day before his death, he was appointed a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II for his contributions to Catholic life in Britain.