Who is Miriam Margolyes' partner Heather Sutherland? As star ...

Miriam Margolyes is a well known face across the nation, featuring on popular films and talk shows- where she often has the audience in stitches. 

The actress is loved for her candidness and is known for having a foul-mouth; She once accidentally revealed her true thoughts on Jeremy Hunt on a BBC Radio 4 programme, saying 'f*** you, you b*****d'.

She is the current face of Vogue's pride month issue, gracing the cover with an eye-popping naked photoshoot, and sharing details of her life in an interview. 

It appears no question is off limits for Margolyes and she's prepared to share all on her sex life, the actress once boldly revealed she doesn't keep count of her ex-lovers and that she honestly couldn't reach a figure. 

But Margolyes said she prefers 'quality over quantity', and has been in a long term relationship for over half a century. 

So who is Miriam Margolyes' partner? Here is everything you need to know about Heather Sunderland and why they have stayed together so long. 

Miriam is in a civil partnership with Heather Sunderland, who likes to keep out of the spotlight. 

Heather is an Australian historian and former professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 

Heather first met Miriam in 1967 and the pair have been together ever since. 

In Miriam's 2021 autobiography, This Much Is True, she says of her partnership: 'We have been together for 53 years. It is a big achievement.

'An academic and a Scholar, Heather is my polar opposite: reticent, incredibly private and reserved.' 

Miriam met Heather through a mutual friend while working on a BBC radio drama after Miriam had graduated from studying at the University of Cambridge. 

Although knew of her sexuality, she only came out to her parents once meeting Heather. 

After meeting Heather, Miriam went to visit her parents who lived in Oxford to tell them the news. Her mother did not take the news well and shortly afterward fell into poor health. 

She suffered a stroke a few days after Miriam came out , and suffered from more severe strokes in the following months- she passed away in 1974.

In her book Miriam wrote: 'I always believed that my coming out in some way caused it.

'It was a horrendous time and I was very unhappy. I knew I couldn't change what I was; I should not have told them.' 

Despite being loved up for decades, the pair have never lived together.  

Miriam said the secret to their lasting relationship is 'not living together', according to the Express. 

In her biography, she says: 'We've probably lasted this long because we have always led completely separate lives.'

She goes on to say that although they speak on the phone every day, they normally only see each other around eight times a year and have only ever lived together when on holiday. 

In an interview for Vogue's pride issue, Miriam shared that neither one had to compromise their goals to remain together and both pursued different paths. 

'We were able to lead our lives without diminishing them,' Margolyes said. 'I didn't want her to have to give up anything. And I didn't want to give up anything.  

The pair have travelled to London, Tuscany and Heather's home country Australia. 

Miriam became an Australian citizen in 2013 and shares an Australian Southern Highlands holiday home with Heather, which they rent out when not in use.

Miriam and Heather do not have any children, which she has previously said she is delighted about, because she thinks they are a 'nuisance'.

In an interview on The Project, Miriam shared that she isn't a fan of youngsters, despite her various work with children and children's charities. 

'I don't like children. I don't want to be with children. I wish them well. I genuinely do. I'd kill anyone who hurt a child.'

'But I just don't want them near me!'