US pop queen Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie ended nearly eight years of marriage in just a few minutes today when a British court granted them a "quickie" divorce.
Neither Madonna (50) nor British film director Ritchie (40) were in court for the hearing, according to the Press Association. It had been listed yesterday under the names Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S.
The couple announced last month that they had agreed to split eight years after their fairytale wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.
The announcement ended intense speculation over their relationship, which has been played out in the full glare of the media spotlight.
Details of the terms of the split have not been made public, although several newspapers have reported that Mr Ritchie would not be seeking a share of Madonna's fortune.
Their combined wealth has been estimated at around $525 million, but Madonna accounts for the bulk of it.
Potentially more difficult is how Madonna and Ritchie share custody of their children. Media reports have said that Madonna wants to live in the United States while Mr Ritchie plans to remain in Britain.
The couple have a son, Rocco, who was several months old on their wedding day in December 2000.
In 2006 Madonna applied to adopt David Banda, a boy from Malawi whose mother died shortly after his birth and whose biological father has supported the adoption.
A Malawian court approved the adoption in May.
The singer also has a daughter Lourdes, born in 1996, from her relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon. She was married once before, to actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.
"We're not going to comment on anything at the moment," Barbara Charone, Madonna's London-based publicist, said yesterday when asked about details of the settlement.
Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16th, 1958, into a large, devout Italian-Catholic family.
She went on to become one of the most successful singers of all time with estimated album sales of more than 200 million and is in the middle of her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour.
Mr Ritchie is a British film director who is currently making a major Hollywood blockbuster Sherlock Holmesstarring Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian-era super sleuth.
Reuters