Inside Sean Connery's Marriage Of 45 Years

With the passing of Sean Connery at the age of 90, a love story that spanned nearly half of a century came to an end. Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond, an irresistible rogue and unabashed charmer, but his personal life did not echo his most famous cinematic role. In fact, the star enjoyed a 45-year marriage with Moroccan-French painter Micheline Roquebrune, whom he first met in 1970 at a golf tournament in Morocco, according to Women Working. At the time, Connery endeared himself to Roquebrune when he called her, "ma cherie," in his appealing Scottish brogue — and the sparks flew, reports The Sun. 

But it wasn't until two years later, when Connery, unable to get the stunning Roquebrune off his mind, asked her to meet up with him in Spain (via Heavy). Roquebrune was hesitant and thought, "'Who does he think he is?'" It didn't stop her from going, though, and once she arrived, she recalled, "He locks his eyes on mine and says, 'I've missed you ... I can't stop thinking about you and I can't forget you.'" 

The pair went on to marry in 1975, and Connery said of his wife: "Micheline is an amazing woman. She is the love of my life" (via The Sun).

Despite there being an initial language barrier between them, with Connery knowing no French and Roquebrune not well-versed in English, the couple enjoyed a powerful connection. So much so, that Connery once recalled recognizing his wife by just her feet, per The Sun. "We were in separate queues coming off different flights. There was a partition and underneath I saw these feet. I immediately recognized them and tried to get through to see her, but it wasn't allowed." 

The couple moved to the Bahamas full-time in the '90s, where they enjoyed their time in a large villa and made a point to plan date nights, just the two of them (via Women Working). The long-time pair seemed to never have lost the spark that first drew them together. In fact, The Daily Mail reports spotting the couple shopping for lingerie together in 2014. And when it came to growing older, Connery was unconcerned, at one point noting, "Micheline sometimes says to me 'the time is rushing past,' but I don't worry about getting older. There's always a new challenge to keep you motivated" (via The Sun). Connery and Roquebrune truly shared an enviable love, one that time never faded.