Sean Connery's widow opens up about his dementia battle: 'He wanted to slip away quietly'

Sean Connery's wife Micheline Roquebrune says life is going to be very difficult without him. Photo / Getty Images

Micheline Roquebrune, the grieving widow of screen legend Sir Sean Connery, has revealed the star was battling dementia and had wanted to "slip away quietly".

Micheline, who was married to the James Bond actor for 45 years, reflected on her "wonderful life" with her "gorgeous model of a man" Connery, who died in his sleep in the Bahamas overnight.

"It was no life for him. He was not able to express himself latterly," Micheline said of his condition when he died, as reported by the Daily Mail .

She added: "At least he died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted."

The 91-year-old Moroccan-French painter, who met the Scot in 1970 at a golf tournament, said his condition had deteriorated in recent months.

"He had dementia and it took its toll on him. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss."

Reflecting on their 45 years of marriage in a heartbreaking statement, she said it was "going to be very hard without him".

"He was gorgeous and we had a wonderful life together. He was a model of a man. It is going to be very hard without him, I know that. But it could not last for ever and he went peacefully."

Connery, who had split from his first wife Diane Cilento when he met Micheline, married the painter in 1975, staying together until his death on October 31.

The marriage survived a well-documented affair Connery had in the late 1980s with singer Lynsey de Paul.

Speaking to The Sun in 2011, Sean described Micheline — with whom he shared a love of golf and lived with in the Bahamas until his death — as "the love of his life".

Acclaimed artist Micheline had been married twice before she met Connery, with three children from her previous marriages.

Speaking of the moment she first met the star, she admitted she didn't know who he was.

The couple married in 1975 and remained together until Connery's death on October 31. Photo / AP

"I saw this man from the back, and of course, he had a fine physique," she told The Sun of the 6ft-tall actor.

"But that first day I didn't know who he was or anything about him.

"Then I dreamed I saw this man. I was in his arms. And I thought 'At last, peace'.

"The next day I went back to the tournament and that was that!"

So strong was their initial connection it transcended the normal means of communication, given at the start of their relationship, they couldn't even speak the same language.

Micheline, who is fluent in French and Spanish, told the publication it wasn't an issue, cheekily revealing: "Oh we had no problem communicating — body language!"

On Saturday, the family of Sir Sean announced that he had died in his sleep at the age of 90.

The British actor was the first to bring the role of spy James Bond to the screen, a part he became famous for around the globe.

Born in Edinburgh, he would go on to star in scores of films from the Hunt for Red October and The Untouchables to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, almost always with his thick Scottish lilt.

His family said he died in the Bahamas after being unwell for some time.

The last images of Connery emerged in August as he celebrated his 90th birthday at the Lyford Cay gated community, reported The Sun.

A photo of him and his family has also emerged from his 89th birthday, The Sun reported.

It was said that he rarely left the community where he lived with his second wife Micheline.