The silver SPLITTERS

As one of the richest couples in the world prepare to divorce after 27 years of marriage, we take a look at the growing numbers of people choosing to call it a day later in life

-  FRANCES LEATE

Ending what you hoped would be a lifelong commitment is never an easy decision. And going through a divorce can be an upsetting, stressful and frustrating process. But, while the overall numbers of people divorcing are down in the UK, according to counselling service Relate, the number of couples in their 60s cutting ties is gradually increasing. Even billionaire super-couple, Bill, 65, and Melinda Gates, 56, recently announced their amicable split after 27 years of marriage.

But why shouldn’t divorce signal the start of a new chapter – a chance to celebrate freedom and enjoy it? Dubbed the ‘silver splitters’, more divorcees in their 60s than ever before are signing up to dating apps and solo holidays.

Woman investigates why starting afresh in your 60s, far from cutting you adrift, could be the making of you.

‘I’VE NOT ONLY SURVIVED THE END OF MY MARRIAGE – I’VE THRIVED’

Counsellor and author Caroline Buchanan, 67, lives in west London

When my decree absolute arrived via email eight days before my 60th birthday, in October 2013, I felt a mix of emotions – sadness and also relief. My now ex-husband had left the family home the previous year, after 13 years of marriage. At the time, I was devastated, but by now I’d realised that crisis is an opportunity to grow, and I was starting to feel excited about my future, alongside a new-found sense of freedom and the belief that no matter how hard and traumatic it had been at the time, divorcing was, without a doubt, the best thing for us both.