Michael Gove and Sarah Vine split: senior government minister and Daily Mail columnist announce their divorce

A friend of the couple has said the split was ‘entirely amicable’.
Michael Gove and Sarah Vine (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)Michael Gove and Sarah Vine (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Michael Gove and Sarah Vine (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove and his wife Sarah Vine have announced they are divorcing after 20 years of marriage.

The pair are "in the process of finalising their divorce", a joint spokesman for the couple said.

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At a glance: 5 key points

- Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and his journalist wife Sarah Vine have "agreed to separate", a joint spokesman for the couple has said.

- The high-profile couple married in October 2001 but have decided to end their relationship and are “in the process of finalising their divorce”.

- A friend of the couple insisted the Gove-Vine split was “entirely amicable”, and that no third party was involved.

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- Ms Vine, a columnist for the Daily Mail, wrote last week, in a piece about former health secretary Matt Hancock’s resignation, about how Westminster life can drive a wedge between partners.

- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Gove and Ms Vine, a former Times arts editor, first met in 1999 and married two years later. The family are seen as well connected in the Conservative Party, with Ms Vine a godmother to one of former prime minister David Cameron’s daughters.

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What did Sarah Vine say in her latest column about being an MP's wife?

What’s been said?

The pair’s spokesman told the PA news agency: “Michael and Sarah have agreed to separate and they are in the process of finalising their divorce.

“They will continue to support their two children and they remain close friends.

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“The family politely ask for privacy at this time and will not be providing any further comment.”

The friend told PA: “This is a difficult and sad decision for Michael and Sarah after 20 years of marriage.

“It is an entirely amicable separation and there is no-one else involved.

“They have drifted apart over the past couple of years but they remain friends.

“Their absolute priority is the children.”

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