The estranged husband of a millionairess who was found dead in woodland is to stand trial charged with her murder.
Robert Brown, 46, denied the charge of murder and a second count of obstructing a coroner from holding an inquest when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court.
He is accused of murdering his estranged wife, 46-year-old Joanna Brown, whose body was found by police on the Crown Estate near Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, two weeks after police launched a murder inquiry on November 1 last year.
Speaking shortly after her death, Mrs Brown's family said in a statement released through Thames Valley Police: "Jo touched the hearts of everyone she met. Her endless positive energy and her radiant smile are engraved in all our hearts.
"The world has lost a truly remarkable individual. We as a family are all in deep shock and would please ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time."
A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Brown died from "severe blunt force trauma to the head and associated complications".
She was reported missing after a family member raised the alarm, concerned at not being able to contact her. Officers forced entry into her sprawling country mansion in Ascot, which was empty at the time, and a subsequent search was launched.
The couple's marital home, Tun Cottage, is worth in the region of £3 million and was run as an award-winning bed and breakfast by Mrs Brown after she separated from her husband.
They married 11 years ago and were going through divorce proceedings when she went missing.
Brown, of North Street, Winkfield, was remanded in custody on Thursday and will appear at Reading Crown Court on May 3, a court official said. The case is expected to last three weeks.
