Madonna's final swipe at Guy over divorce cash

MADONNA took a sideswipe at Guy Ritchie even as they divorced today - branding suggestions that he had not taken a penny as "fantasy land".

The couple divorced in the High Court at 10am this morning after thrashing out a "quickie" settlement - as exclusively revealed in yesterday's Evening Standard.

But any chance of a harmonious split appeared in jeopardy after a source close to Madonna, 50, reacted furiously to the claim Ritchie had walked away from the marriage without a penny.

A source close to the negotiations had told the Standard that Ritchie had declined a slice of Madonna's estimated £300 million fortune.

Instead, it was suggested, he had acted to secure a deal that would allow him to spend as much time as possible with their two sons Rocco, eight, and adopted three-year-old David.

But a source close to the singer told the Standard today: "It's not true that Guy Ritchie hasn't received a penny from all this. I think that is fantasy land. It's certainly not nothing." The true deal is not likely to ever be made public under strict confidentiality clauses.

Their case was listed today for Court 10 of the Principal Registry of the High Court's Family Division. It was before District Judge Reid under Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S under the "quickie" procedure.

The hearing lasted just a few minutes and neither party was expected to attend, with Madonna currently on tour and Ritchie in Liverpool filming his version of Sherlock Holmes.

Lawyers have praised the couple for the speed with which they sorted out the divorce, mainly away from the glare of the public spotlight and in contrast to Sir Paul McCartney's messy split from Heather Mills.

Ritchie, 40, and Madonna only announced they were separating last month. McCartney's divorce dragged on for two years and led to a full-blown court case and public humiliation for Ms Mills.

Ritchie, photographed with his two boys going out to dinner in Liverpool last night, told the Daily Mirror today: "It was never about money - never about her bloody art collection. I just wanted to settle it and move on. I didn't raise any objections at any stage until she insisted the children lived permanently in New York."

Ritchie is independently wealthy and estimated to be worth around £30 million but under English law was entitled to as much as half his estranged wife's fortune after almost 10 years cohabitation. Only last year Madonna signed a new record deal worth $120 million, to which Ritchie could have laid claim.

Instead, Ritchie ordered his legal team - led by Helen Ward, a partner at Manches law firm - to negotiate a settlement which ensured Rocco and David divided their time between London and New York. Madonna's daughter Lourdes, 12, will live in New York to be close to her father Carlos Leon.