Richard advised The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival: “Subsequent to her death, I have had people cross the road rather than talk. Whether they think you’re going to fall apart and you’re an emotional wreck, I don’t know.

“But I’ll by no means converse to them once more.”

The 66-year-old actor recalled how his Swedish neighbours ignored him waving at them when he sold the family’s holiday home in Provence and said that the snub felt as if they had “cancelled” Joan.

Richard mentioned: “It was the market day and I noticed Gustav flip to Marlen, his spouse, and as I walked in direction of them they each turned their heads.

“I thought, ‘F*** you.’ I felt I was being punished because Joan had died. They had never acknowledged it. Maybe they didn’t know how to deal with it.”

The ‘Gosford Park’ star continued: “What I have really learnt is that if you don’t talk about the person that has died you are essentially saying to the person who is bereaved that person doesn’t exist, or they have been cancelled.

“In not speaking about it, you’re denying any person. I do not know whether or not it is a notably English factor, however I discover that if individuals do not speak about it, it feels very hurtful. Or simply imply.”

Richard explained earlier this year that he was still “in denial” in regards to the lack of Joan.

In a tearful Instagram clip, he mentioned: “It’s my late spouse’s posthumous birthday in the present day and I’ve been scrolling by way of all our images of our 38 years collectively.

“You look and look and look and still try and look and the time is fixed and you read into things.

“The final eight months of her life as she so determinately placed on a courageous face, it’s simply so coronary heart breaking.

“The wonderful trick of memory is, is that I remember her now in the prime of her life and I’m still in denial that she is not here.”