Sir Winston Churchill’s daughter leaves a fortune

Lady Mary Soames, the last surviving child of Sir Winston Churchill, has left a fortune of more than £22 million, I can disclose.

The bulk of the accomplished author’s estate she has left in trust equally to her children Sir Nicholas, the Conservative MP; Emma Soames, the journalist and writer; the businessmen Rupert and Jeremy, and her daughter, Countess Charlotte Peel.

The youngest of Sir Winston’s five children, who died aged 91 in May this year, left a gross estate of £23,848,296 and, after her outstanding affairs were settled, this produced a net estate of £22,307,144.

Lady Soames appointed Emma as her literary executor and gave her £5,000 “in recognition of the not inconsiderable amount of work and responsibility which this will entail.” She directed that Emma should decide whether any unfinished book started by her mother should be completed, and whether or not she should write a book about her life.

She left Emma and Charlotte her furs, clothes and jewellery; £2,000 to her goddaughter Anna Mathias; and £25,000, a gold, sapphire and diamond bar brooch and two Louis XVI gilt candlestick lamps to Nonie Chapman, her indefatigable personal assistant.

There was £5,000 for her old friend Judy Meisenkothen, of Oxon, and, to her unnamed daily help, £100 for each year or part year she worked for her. She also left mementoes, to be chosen by her trustees, to her daily help and to her goddaughter.