Madonna and Guy Ritchie to divorce

After months of speculation about the condition of their marriage, a PR representative for the singer Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie confirmed today that the couple are to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage. Press speculation earlier today was that Madonna, 50, had wanted to wait until next year after she had completed her 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour, but that Ritchie, 40, forced the issue.

A source told the Sun newspaper: "Guy said if they were going to split, it had to be now - and their marriage will finally be over in a matter of weeks." It is understood that both parties talked to divorce lawyers as far back as June to ensure the break-up was as amicable as possible. Madonna is said to have taken advice from Fiona Shackleton, Sir Paul McCartney's counsel in his divorce from Heather Mills, while Ritchie has consulted the London firm Forsters.

Madonna is in Boston, Massachusetts where she is due on stage later today.
Ritchie, who is making a new version of Sherlock Holmes with Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr, following the surprise success of his last movie, Rocknrolla, has been filming in France.

The couple's PR representative said they had not agreed to a settlement. It has been suggested that if there was no pre-nuptual agreement, Richie stands to receive as much as £70m from his wife, who is thought to have amassed a £300m fortune.

The couple have two children - a son of their own, Rocco, aged seven, and an adopted son, David Banda, from Malawi, whose mother died shortly after his birth in 2005. Madonna also has a daughter, Lourdes, from an earlier relationship with Carlos Leon II, a fitness instructor. She was married once before, to Hollywood actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.