Kate Beckinsale pays emotional tribute to late father Richard Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale has paid a heartfelt tribute to her late father, Richard Beckinsale.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the Underworld actress shared a black-and-white photo of her Porridge actor dad, who tragically died at the age of 31 in 1979.

In the accompanying caption, Kate marked what would have been Richard's 78th birthday.

"Happy 78th birthday, Daddy," she wrote, candidly adding: "For the first time in my life I am really glad you're not here. I'm so grateful you're not seeing what I'm seeing."

Kate went on to share a sweet memory from her childhood.

"I miss you and love you so very very much. Thank you for letting me dig up the little potatoes you grew and letting me wear your enormous wellies. I really liked doing that," the 51-year-old added.

Last week, Kate posted a series of snaps from a recent girls' trip.

In the caption, the mother-of-one hinted she is going through a tough time at the moment.

"This is not an accurate depiction of how life is right now but a brief and precious reprieve from other things for which I am extremely grateful," she noted.

And after a follower asked whether she "needed help" with her weight, Kate confirmed she was thinner than usual.

"Yes I do. I'm going through one of the most deeply painful times of my life. The body keeps the score," she responded in a now-deleted message, referring to Bessel van der Kolk's 2014 book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.