Pop icon Madonna has settled her divorce with ex-husband, British director Guy Ritchie, for up to £60 million ($92 million) after eight years of marriage, according to her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg.

The payment included the value of their English country estate, Ashcombe, which is worth around £20 million ($30 million).

The couple’s combined wealth is estimated to be about $525 million, with most of it attributed to Madonna.

However, custody arrangements for their children, Rocco and David, have not been finalized.

Madonna was previously married to actor Sean Penn in the 1980s.

She and Ritchie announced their separation in October 2008, nearly eight years after their fairy tale wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

Ritchie, on the other hand, is a British film director currently working on the Hollywood blockbuster “Sherlock Holmes” starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian-era super sleuth.

The singer is regarded as one of the most successful musicians of all time, with estimated album sales of over 200 million.

Madonna has a daughter, Lourdes, born in 1996, from her relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

Madonna’s spokesperson, Rosenberg, stated that the divorce was granted by a British court on November 21, with the payment serving as a final settlement between the couple.

The payment is believed to be the largest sum paid by a woman in a divorce case.

The couple’s divorce had garnered significant media attention, with speculation about the amount Madonna would have to pay to Ritchie.

The settlement surpassed the amount paid by Harrison Ford to his ex-wife, Melissa Mathison, who received $85 million in 2004.

The exact details of the custody arrangements for the couple’s children remain unknown.

However, it was confirmed that Madonna and Ritchie have an 8-year-old son, Rocco, and 3-year-old son David, who was adopted from Malawi.

The divorce settlement marked the end of a chapter in Madonna’s personal life.

• 15 Dec 2008