Kate Beckinsale can’t take Christmas trees down due to grief after hospitalisation-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Kate Beckinsale has posted a heartbreaking tribute to her late stepdad Roy Battersby (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

Kate Beckinsale has posted a heartbreaking tribute to her late stepfather Roy Battersby and confessed she can’t face taking down her Christmas trees for fear of erasing the memory of their final weeks together.

The 50-year-old actress has taken to social media with touching words on what would have been Battersby’s birthday, alongside some photographs of him.

‘The birthday we didn’t know was your last, began the Serendipity actress in a poem for her late loved one.

‘There will be no FaceTime today / In the middle of my night watching you open your presents / No one received gifts with more joy / I can’t take my Christmas trees down / They were the last Christmas trees I’ll decorate with you in the world / This birthday/not birthday / Christmas/not Christmas / In April / Oh Roy, Oh God I miss you.’

Alongside her heartfelt words, Kate posted pictures of Battersby celebrating his most recent birthday alongside shots of her sitting among Christmas decorations, seemingly still up from months ago before she was admitted to hospital.

One picture shows Battersby walking and smiling in the sunshine, while another sees him reading a birthday card. She also shared a picture of his cake, decorated with mini carrots, walnuts and professional-looking scrawl.

Kate can’t face taking her Christmas decorations down (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

Kate has adapted her decorated Christmas trees to be a tribute to Battersby (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

She doesn’t want to erase their last Christmas together by taking down decorations (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

Another showed Kate sitting alone surrounded by her pink and white Christmas decorations, while the last one gave an insight into the star’s grief, showing a viral post which simple states: ‘Due to personal reasons I’ll be screaming.’

In a second post, Kate shared a video of a beautiful tree she’s decorated with various photographs of Battersby over the years – adding to Christmas decorations she said they worked on together before his death.

The Underworld actress also posted a carousel of other snaps, starting with a photo her mother Judy Loe looking at the camera, and a post with the words: ‘I will not let this hard cold world steal my sweetness & fill me with bitterness.’

Another video showed her stroking a cat’s face, and Kate also shared two quotes; one from Edith Siwell, which read, ‘I must say I hope the coming year will be better than the last one, which, I think, was sheer hell,’ and another from Leo Tolstoy’s diary: ‘I’ve fallen in love or imagine that I have; went to a party and lost my head. Bought a horse which I don’t need at all.’

Then, Kate posted a picture of her giving a dog a kiss, and a screenshot of a an email she received from a dentist, wishing her ‘dead father a happy birthday’.

‘We are your dental team, and we approve today’s cake! :)’ the ill-informed message read, continuing: ‘Happy Birthday, Roy! On behalf of the entire office, we with you a birthday filled with all the things you love. Keep smiling!’

Ending on the heartbreaking email, Kate captioned the carousel with a candid message for those who are also grieving.

She shared pictures of Battersby on his final birthday (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

The actress also updated fans on how she was dealing with grief (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

‘Do all the things,’ she began. ‘Wallow, cry, celebrate, look at the wall in disbelief. Send your mum flowers . Swim in your mind with his idols. Google. Talk to your safe person.

‘Avoid those with not quite enough bandwidth for this. Isolate or don’t. Get dressed or don’t. Hug an animal or seven. Take a bath or two. Stay dirty. Google things he liked. Read his texts and feel the deepest ache you can feel. Feel it. Numb out.

‘Watch Gladiator and wish a lion was coming at you instead of this. Realise Half The World Away by Oasis is the greatest song ever written.

‘Change your mind and blast Man, I feel like a woman. Kiss a boy. Kiss a girl. Kiss the crook of your own elbow . Buy gourmet cookies you can’t eat because your stomach hurts.

‘Maybe eat them anyway. Or don’t. Laugh and cry when you receive an email from a dentist you took him to once ,wishing your dead father a happy birthday. Do it all. Or do none. There’s no map. I’m with you all.’

She sent flowers to her mum Judy Loe on what would have been Battersby’s birthday (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

She advised hugging an animal – or seven (Picture: Kate Beckinsale/Instagram)

Battersby was a director, known for working on major British TV productions including Inspector Morse and Cracker, with his most recent work being an episode of A Touch Of Frost eight years ago. His film credits include Red Mercury and Winter Flight.

Announcing his death in January, Kate said she was ‘speechless’ and reflected on how she’d ‘fought with everything [she] had’ for him.

Battersby’s death announcement came just after Kate rushed to hospital from the Golden Globes to see him.

Since March, Kate herself has been suffering with a mystery health issue, as she’s posted various social media updates from hospital in a private room at the Cedars Sinai medical centre – though she has kept the reasons for her stay private.

Earlier this week Kate left hospital, and shared a cryptic post showing her wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: ‘Tummy troubles survivor.’

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