Husband charged with murder of Joanna Brown, whose body was discovered in woods on Friday

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

A body found by police near Windsor Great Park has been confirmed as that of missing millionaire Joanna Brown, officers said today .

Brown, 46, from Ascot, Berkshire, was reported missing last Monday when a family member raised the alarm, after being unable to contact her.

Officers forced entry into her sprawling country mansion. After an extensive search, police found a body in a densely wooded area on the crown estate near the Berkshire park on Friday night.

A postmortem revealed that she died from "severe blunt force trauma to the head and associated complications".

Brown's husband Robert, also 46, has been charged with her murder. He appeared at Slough magistrates court on Friday and was remanded in custody until tomorrow, when he will appear at Reading crown court for a bail hearing.

The pair, who married 11 years ago, were going through divorce proceedings when Brown went missing. The couple's marital home, Tun Cottage, was run as an award-winning bed and breakfast by Brown after they separated.

The mock-Tudor property, worth about £3m, is described on its website as a "beautiful English country home" and was awarded a four-star Gold award by VisitBritain. Brown, who lived there for 12 years, turned it into a guest house two years ago.

Her family described her as a "very special person", saying she was "loved and admired by everyone".