Michael Palin is mourning the death of his wife Helen Gibbins.

The Monty Python star issued a statement via his website on Tuesday in which he announced that Helen had passed away following a long illness.

"My dearest wife Helen died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday morning. She had been suffering with chronic pain for several years, which was compounded a few years ago by a diagnosis of kidney failure," he wrote.

Michael went on to recall how he and Helen met on a summer holiday when they were 16 and married in 1966. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary last month.

"Helen was the bedrock of my life. Her quietly wise judgment informed all my decisions and her humour and practical good sense was at the heart of our life together," the 79-year-old continued. "Her death is an indescribable loss for myself, our three children and four grandchildren."

To conclude, Michael asked that his and his family's privacy "be respected at this time".