Police and paramedics found the 49-year-old in an apartment in Costa de la Calma, Majorca, in the early hours of Saturday with bruising on her neck and in cardiac arrest.

Local media said her husband had been arrested after allegedly phoning emergency services and confessing to the killing.

The couple are understood to have been living on the island for many years.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Following the death of a British national in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, we are in contact with the local authorities and are providing support to the family at this difficult time."