When George Harrison visited his ex-wife Pattie Boyd in 2001, she suspected it was his final goodbye.
“He came with some little gifts and we played music and had some tea,” the English model and photographer told People magazine on Tuesday. “It was lovely to see him, but I knew he wasn’t well. I sensed that he wanted to see me rather than leave it too late.”
The 78-year-old described how they spoke in the garden. The former member of The Beatles noticed a few flowers blooming through the dirt and shaking in the breeze.
“The flowers are shivering,” he remarked.
Guitarist George Harrison (1943-2001) of the Beatles with model Pattie Boyd at a press reception in London the day after their wedding, Jan. 22, 1966.
(Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
It’s a statement that stayed with Boyd.
“Only George would think flowers shiver,” she said. “It was so sweet.”
It was the last time the pair saw each other. Months later, Harrison passed away following a battle with cancer. He was 58. There are two surviving Beatles: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 at age 40.
Harrison and Boyd were married from 1966 until 1977. She went on to marry his friend Eric Clapton in 1979. Harrison attended the wedding. That union lasted until 1989. She’s been married to property developer Rod Weston since 2015.
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Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd at the premiere of Ken Russell’s film version of The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” at the Leicester Square Theatre in London, circa 1975. They married in 1979.
(Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Harrison married once more to Olivia Arias in 1978. That union lasted until his death.
Boyd described how she met Harrison on the set of 1964’s “A Hard Day’s Night.” She only had one line, but the then-19-year-old made a lasting impression on the Beatle.
Within two years, the couple said “I do.” But by the ‘70s, they started drifting apart.
“George and I were going in different directions,” she said. “He was starting to distance himself from me.”,
The pair amicably went their separate ways. Harrison even supported Boyd’s relationship with his close friend.
The former modeal has a new photo book, “Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures,” coming out that features rare images of George Harrison from their time together.
(Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Matches Fashion)
“He said, ‘Well, I’m glad you’re going off with Eric instead of some idiot,’” Boyd recalled. “So he appreciated my choice!”
According to the outlet, Harrison jokingly referred to himself as “the husband-in-law.” He not only attended the wedding but also serenaded the newlyweds with McCartney and Starr.
The outlet noted that Harrison and Boyd remained close for the rest of his life. Her upcoming photo book, “My Life in Pictures,” contains the last photo of them together. It was taken in the early ‘90s in the gardens of Friar Park, the estate they’d shared during their final days as a couple.
Boyd told the outlet that she’s a firm believer in having several soulmates – if you’re lucky.
Pattie Boyd said she and ex-husband George Harrison remained close friends until his death.
(Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
“You can meet someone and just recognize the essence of their being,” she explained. “And they’re always a joy to be with. Even if a year goes by, and you don’t see them, when you… reunite, you’re still on the same page.”
Boyd noted that was the kind of bond she shared with Harrison.
“Just because things didn’t work out as we planned, it didn’t diminish our love for each other,” she added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
