Who Is David Attenborough's Late Wife? All About Jane Oriel and Their 47-Year Marriage

Mar. 15, 2025

Wildlife presenter Sir David Attenborough and his wife Jane.Photo:PA Images via Getty

PA Images via Getty

Renowned broadcaster and natural historianDavid Attenboroughwas married to wife Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel for nearly 50 years.

Their marriage, which lasted from 1950 until she died in 1997, was a cornerstone of Attenborough’s life, impacting him both personally and professionally.

Attenborough’s work, known for its detailed and passionate portrayal of the natural world, has encompassed over 100 documentaries released since 1954. His latest documentary,Secret World of Sound With David Attenboroughbegan streaming on Netflix in August 2024, wherein the naturalist explores the essential role of sound in nature, investigating how it shapes and influences the daily lives of animals.

While he has worked on various projects since the loss of his wife, Attenborough’s relationship with Oriel provided stability and support throughout the majority of his career. He has been open about the profound grief he experienced after her death. In his 2002 memoirLife On Air, the historian described her as the “focus” and “anchor” of his life and said that without her, he was “lost.”

Attenborough and Oriel married in 1950

David Attenborough and Jane Oriel married in February 1950.PA Images via Getty

In 1950, Attenborough and Oriel wed when they were 24 and 23 years old, respectively. The pair then moved to Richmond Upon Thames in London, where they started their family and built a life together.

They welcomed two children

Nancy Cowan /Sunday Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty

Attenborough and Oriel had two children together, son Robert and daughter Susan. Robert is a lecturer in bioanthropology and Susan was the head of a primary school before leaving her job to work for Attenborough in the wake of Oriel’s death.

“I was getting myself into a mess without my wife,” he toldThe Telegraphin 2016. “She came and helped and eventually became a partner in my little company.”

During an interview forRadio Timesin 2017, he told documentarian Louis Theroux, “If I do have regrets, it is that when my children were the same age as your children, I was away for three months at a time.”

“If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it’s irreplaceable,” he said. “You miss something.”

Attenborough added that his frequent absences became somewhat of an ongoing joke.

“There used to be family jokes,” he toldThe Guardianin June 2017. “You know, ‘You don’t remember that, Father, do you, because you weren’t there!’ "

Attenborough was with Oriel for her last few moments before she died in 1997

Jane Attenborough in March 1965.Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty

Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty

In 1997, while Attenborough was filmingThe Life of the Birdsin New Zealand, he received news that Oriel had fallen into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage. Rushing back to the U.K., Attenborough made it to her side in her final hours. She died at the age of 70.

He later wrote about the experience in his memoirLife On Air, sharing that she “gave [his] hand a squeeze” in a final gesture before her death.

Attenborough still lives in the house they shared

David Attenborough’s daughter Susan (left) and David Attenborough at Wimbledon.Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty

Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty

While Oriel’s death left a void in his life, Attenborough never considered moving out of the home where they built a family, choosing to preserve the sentimental nature of the memories created there.

“What would be the point? I would be leaving the home we made together, the garden we built up,” he told theDaily Mail. “I think it’s probably sentimental. This house is all bound up with her. I feel her here as much as anywhere.”

Attenborough’s work helped him cope with the loss of Oriel

Sir David Attenborough attends the premiere of Green Planet at the Glasgow IMAX cinema in the Green Zone at COP26 in Glasgow on Oct. 31, 2021.Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty

Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty

“In moments of grief — deep grief — the only consolation you can find is in the natural world,” he toldThe Telegraphin 2011.

Attenborough has also noted that having a purpose and a sense of obligation helped him cope with the loss.

The historian added that the support of colleagues and collaborators served as helpful motivators to get back to work.

“What is important is that there are people around who say to you, ‘Look, we desperately need you, you know. We do desperately want you to write that script. Could you possibly do that?’ It is a great relief when there is somebody driving you to get on with things.”

source: people.com