Dame Maggie Smith left a £16million fortune to her two sons, both actors, in her will. Probate records seen by The Sun show the 89-year-old, who died in September 2024, had a net estate valued at £15,977,325.
Fortune left to actor sons
The bulk of her fortune has been left to her sons, Christopher and Toby Stephens. Christopher is best known by his stage name Chris Larkin and has appeared in productions ranging from Outlander to Black Sails. Toby is also an actor, known for Jane Eyre and Lost in Space, and starred alongside his brother in the pirate period drama Black Sails.
Maggie left her West Sussex farmhouse, Douglas Lake Farm at Fittleworth, to a family trust she set up with her sons in 2019. The five-bedroom house boasts a vineyard and barns and was Maggie’s home for more than four decades. She lived in Pulborough, a small village in the South Downs National Park, in the home she purchased in 1981.
Provisions for late husband's estate
The actress’s will also made provisions for her late husband’s estate. Maggie was married twice, first to actor Robert Stephens in 1967 and then to playwright Beverley Cross in the 70s after her divorce. Any copyright, royalties and unpublished works inherited from Cross after his death in 1998 will be split between Cross’ daughter Philippa Maughan, his son Shaun Cross and Maggie’s sons Toby and Chris.
Debts and expenses of just over £26,000 were deducted from an original figure of £16,003,613 in Maggie’s will to arrive at the net amount.
Net worth at time of death
In her 89 years, Maggie amassed a net worth of around £31.4million. £2.3million of that was earned in 2021 alone, linked to her Downton Abbey work. She also had her own production company, Dame Margaret Cross Productions, which in 2024 was making a £1.6million profit.
