Ex-Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli, 50, ‘wins £350m’ to become Britain’s richest divorcee after split from tycoon husband

Their spokesman told the paper: "It is with sadness that Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli confirm that they have divorced."

Kirsty and Ernesto were jointly ranked 14th place in this year's Sunday Times Rich List, worth an estimated £9.2billion.

The couple have not disclosed the size of Mrs Bertarelli's payout, but the Daily Mail reports she has agreed to accept a £350million settlement. 

The sum would make her Britain's richest divorcee in legal history - winning just short of the Queen's estimated fortune of roughly £365million.

The couple's spokesman told the Daily Mail: "The decision was a shared one and the separation amicable."

In addition to her settlement, Mrs Bertarelli has reportedly been given a modern house by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, bought this year for £52million.

She also owns an £8million chalet in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad.

According to this year's Sunday Times rich list, the UK's richest person in 2021 was Sir Leonard Blavatnik, worth £23billion.

 Sir James Dyson and family were fourth on the list, worth £16.3billion.

Mrs Bertarelli is now richer than pop superstars Sir Mick Jagger, said to be worth £310million, Ed Sheeran (£220million) and Adele (£140million).

She was represented by Baroness Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who represented Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney in their divorces.

She is believed to have signed a prenuptial agreement before marrying Italian-born Bertarelli in 2000. 

One of her pals told the Mail: "The settlement was more generous than it had to be. They didn't want a long, drawn-out court case in Switzerland and he wanted to recognise the length of their marriage."

Mrs Bertarelli was born Kirsty Roper in the market town of Stone, Staffs.

And she comes from the well-off family behind one of the world's biggest manufacturers of ceramic products, Churchill China in Stoke-on-Trent.

After moving to London, she partied with socialites including Elizabeth Hurley and Tamara Beckwith.

She then joined the super-rich after meeting bio-tech tycoon Bertarelli, 56, at a dinner party in Sardinia.

After being crowned Miss UK in 1988, Kirsty was second runner-up in that year's Miss World pageant.

She later went on to become a successful pop singer and songwriter, co-writing All Saints' No 1 single Black Coffee, a worldwide hit in 2000.

The couple's spokesman said: "All issues arising from the divorce have been settled and they would respectfully ask for privacy for their whole family at this time.

";As this is a private matter, there will be no further comment."