Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales left £3.1million in her will after dying from vascular dementia in October 2025. The actress, who played Sybil Fawlty opposite John Cleese in the classic BBC sitcom, was married to fellow actor Timothy West until his death in November 2024.
Estate and Will Details
According to records obtained by the Daily Mail, Prunella left the bulk of her estate in trust for her remaining family. She left assets worth £3,376,585, reduced to £3,166,553 after liability payments. Her will, drawn up in October 2020, left various amounts to charity.
Prunella left £10,000 to the Snipe Charitable Trust, a foundation dedicated to promoting the education and training of young people in the arts. £5,000 went to the Combined Theatrical Charities Appeal of the Council for the King George V Fund for Actors, and £1,000 each to the Royal Horticultural Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
Family Bequests
£2,000 each went to two of Prunella's goddaughters, while her trustees were instructed to dispose of her personal possessions. 40% of the remainder of the estate went to her sons Samuel and Joseph, while 20% went to her stepdaughter Juliet.
However, an addition to her will, amended in 2024, said those amounts received by her children could potentially be reduced if they had received gifts from her or Timothy during their lifetimes. Prunella had previously given Sam £300,000 to pay for the renovation of his home, which will be taken into account.
Death and Legacy
Prunella died at the age of 93 at her home near Wandsworth Common, London, from vascular dementia.
