Dame Judi Dench, beloved for her roles in “Philomena,” “Shakespeare in Love,” and M in the “James Bond” film franchise, has been in a loving and committed relationship with her partner, conservationist and businessman David Mills, since 2010. The couple prefer to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but the actress has given an occasional interview that shares a glimpse into their coupling.
Why Does Judi Dench Not Want to Get Married Again?
GettyIn an August 2017 interview with Good Housekeeping, Dench spoke about her relationship and why tshe and Mills have opted not to get married. “I have a jolly nice friend now. I don’t know what the word is because I don’t like the world partner,” she said. “Partner is something to do with dancing. Partner – horrible word. Friend? No. Boyfriend? No. Chap? Will chap do?”
Dench seemed very against the idea of Mills proposing, saying, “He’s not going to propose. ‘No, no, no, no, no.’ Let’s all just pull ourselves together and be our age.”
GettyMills is a respected individual who has done great things for wildlife conservation. In December 2025, he discussed the factors endearing multiple species, putting them at the risk of extinction. “It’s so sad, we need to make space for wildlife. Your garden is very important for wildlife and here at the centre we show you what you can do to encourage it,” he said, BBC reports.
Judi Dench Grieves the Loss of Her Beloved Husband
GettyDench may not have plans to marry Mills, but she was married before to Michael Williams. The couple were married from 1971 until his death from ling cancer in 2001. Losing Williams, with whom Dench was married to for 30 years, had a deep impact on her ife. In an appearance on “David Tennant Does A Podcast With..,” the veteran star reflected on her loss, and fondly remembered her marriage.
“I don’t think we ever had to work at it,” she said, Stylist reports. “I mean, sometimes. Mikey used to have black dog days, sometimes. But he was the most unselfish man, and he wouldn’t ever attribute that to anything that might be between us… Oh, God, how he used to make me laugh. He used to make me absolutely howl.”
She reflected on how she may never learn to live without Williams, but was grateful for meeting Mills. “I have met David, who runs the British Wildlife Centre,” she said. “And he’s about four miles away, and that’s just lovely because we laugh about the same things. But I suspect I shall never ever get over Mikey.” She continued, “It changes who you are completely, I think. Because it’s like you’re walking along, and suddenly you’re not looking and there’s an enormous chasm in front of you. And suddenly all sorts of things take you, expected kinds of things happen. I don’t expect you ever get used to it. Sometimes the door in this house just opens and I think that he’s just wandered in.”
