Kate Beckinsale recalls last year’s 'perfect' July 4 with family: 'I miss everybody so desperately much'

"I will cherish that day my whole life."

Kate Beckinsale is celebrating Independence Day with a bittersweet trip down memory lane.

The Underworld actress took to social media on Thursday to share a series of videos from her 2023 July 4 celebration with family, prior to the death of her stepfather, director Roy Battersby.

“So this was last July 4. My mum was here, my dad was here. My brother was here. My best friends were here. My daughter was here,” she wrote on Instagram. “My goodness we were going through some really difficult things with my mother’s health and we were just about a few days from finding out something very upsetting and frightening about my dad’s health as well.”

Despite the difficulties to come, Beckinsale noted that the holiday was “one of our last moments” to experience “the joy -the utter utter joy of being together and being silly and having hope -real hope and that superhuman energy you have when everybody rises to a challenge.”

Adding that she will "never never forget how happy I was that day,” Beckinsale continued, "I am so grateful to have had it-and while today (by my own choice ) is just me and quiet, I get to think about my fallen soldiers my struggling still fighting soldiers, my people who are far away, my people who I’m not in touch with anymore, just quietly saying thank you to all of them for the most perfect delight of a July 4 l have ever had and ever will have.”

She concluded, “I will cherish that day my whole life. I am so sad and so grateful and I miss everybody so desperately much. Happy fourth hug your family hug your people love hard.”

Her carousel of videos sees the English family in costume, celebrating the occasion with laughter and photo-ops, sans the last clip of Beckinsale panning her camera around a now-empty house. "Where are they all?" she asks, addressing her dogs. "You're here, that's something."

Earlier this year, Beckinsale announced the death of Battersby, who married her mother Judy Loe in 1997.

"It is with great sorrow that the family of film and television director Roy Battersby announce the news of his recent death after a brief period of illness," read her January statement. "He passed away peacefully on 10 January 2024, in Los Angeles surrounded by family, aged 87."

Beckinsale has been open about mourning Battersby throughout the year, including an emotional April Instagram post, marking what would have been his 88th birthday.

“The birthday we didn’t know was your last,” wrote Beckinsale, alongside photos from the birthday that preceded his death. “There will be no FaceTime today in the middle of my night, watching you open your presents. No one received gifts with more joy.”

She added, “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.”

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.