'Happy birthday to this one!' Naomi Watts shares sweet photo in honour of ex Liev Schreiber turning 49

In the wake of the Brangelina divorce, the warmth of Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber's separation stands out.

On Tuesday, she wished him happy 49th birthday with a sweet Instagram photo of him cradling their two sons.

'Happy Birthday to this one!! @lievschreiber,' the King Kong actress effused in her caption.  

Amicable exes: On Tuesday, Naomi Watts celebrated Liev Schreiber's birthday by posting an Instagram photo of him with their sons, seven-year-old Samuel and nine-year-old Alexander

Amicable exes: On Tuesday, Naomi Watts celebrated Liev Schreiber's birthday by posting an Instagram photo of him with their sons, seven-year-old Samuel and nine-year-old Alexander

In the photo, the Ray Donovan actor grinned on the sidewalk in what appeared to be New York City, where the family live.

Sat in his arms were seven-year-old Samuel and nine-year-old Alexander.

Their handprints were splotched in multicoloured paint all over their father's white V-neck T-shirt.  

Last Monday, The Painted Veil co-stars announced they were calling off their 11-year romantic relationship, and they have remained on extremely amicable terms for the sake of their children. 

Before the break: Last Monday, the couple announced they were dissolving their 11-year romantic relationship; they are pictured here at the 2016 Academy Awards

Before the break: Last Monday, the couple announced they were dissolving their 11-year romantic relationship; they are pictured here at the 2016 Academy Awards

The affection has been reciprocal. Last Wednesday, she'd rung in her own 48th birthday, and spent much of the date filming her upcoming Netflix series Gypsy.

At one point during the day, the Shoreham native uploaded a black and white Instagram photo of herself as a toddler in the 1970s, staring up out of her pram.

The San Francisco native commented on the post: 'Happy Birthday Sweetheart.'

'Happy Birthday Sweetheart': Last Wednesday, when the King Kong actress celebrated her 48th birthday with an Instagram photo of herself as a toddler, the Ray Donovan actor had commented his best wishes

'Happy Birthday Sweetheart': Last Wednesday, when the King Kong actress celebrated her 48th birthday with an Instagram photo of herself as a toddler, the Ray Donovan actor had commented his best wishes

Their relationship remained amicable even within the first week of the separation. That Saturday, they were spotted enjoying Alexander's football match in New York City, having brought Samuel along to watch with them. 

Neither has confirmed the cause of the split. The statement announcing it last Monday offered the fairly generic: 'Over the past few months we've come to the conclusion that the best way forward for us as a family is to separate as a couple.'

They continued: 'It is with great love, respect, and friendship in our hearts that we look forward to raising our children together and exploring this new phase of our relationship,' adding: 'While we appreciate your curiosity and support, we ask the press to be mindful of our children and respect their right to privacy.'

However, Schreiber had preemptively divulged some hints over the course of this summer.

Quartet: The whole family reunited last Saturday, five days after the split, to watch Alexander's football match in New York City

Quartet: The whole family reunited last Saturday, five days after the split, to watch Alexander's football match in New York City

Appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in June, he described leaving his family in New York to film Ray Donovan in Los Angeles as 'tough' and 'hard on me the most.'

Explaining that 'The kids are at that age where you, you know, you kinda want them to have a continuity with friends and school,' he admitted that 'I don't know' how often he would be able to travel to New York to visit Samuel and Alexander.

Two days before the split announcement, TV Week ran an interview with him in which he said cobbling together personal time with his partner 'has been one of the things that have been really, really hard for Naomi and I.'

He noted further: 'To find time for each other and to make time for each other. I think that is what makes a successful relationship.'  

The way we were: The pair had struck up their romance in 2005; they're pictured here in 2006 at The Public Theater's Summer Gala in honour of Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep

The way we were: The pair had struck up their romance in 2005; they're pictured here in 2006 at The Public Theater's Summer Gala in honour of Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep

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