Lady Annabel Goldsmith, a renowned socialite and close friend of Princess Diana, left a net estate exceeding £5.6 million. Probate records released recently detail the distribution of her assets following her death at age 91 last October.
The £5.6 million split between the Birley children
According to the Daily Mail, the probate records show that Lady Annabel Goldsmith's UK assets totaled £6,668,035, which was reduced to a net estate of £5,618,858 after liabilities were settled. The majority of this wealth was placed in trust for her two surviving children from her first marriage: entrepreneur Robin Birley,66, and artist India-Jane, 61.
The distribution of the estate reflects a pragmatic approach to family wealth. While Lady Annabel had three other children with her second husband, tycoon Sir James Goldsmith—Jemima Goldsmith Khan, Zac, and Ben—they were excluded from the bulk of this specific will. As reported by the Daily Mail, a clause in the document noted that these children had already been generously provided for by Sir James, who was worth approximately £1.2 billion at the time of his death in 1997.
A 1861 William Morris painting and the legacy of the 'It girl'
Beyond the primary trust, Lady Annabel Goldsmith used her will to distribute specific personal treasures and cash legacies. A notable bequest was a 1861 William Morris landscape painting, depicting two terriers with a dead rabbit, which was left to Charles Filmer, one of the executors of the estate.
The socialite also ensured several associates and relatives received cash gifts. These included:
- Tristram Powell: £20,000
- Maude Martel: £15,000
- James Powell: £10,000
- Sophie Pilkington: £10,000
- Cosima Somerset: £10,000
Most other personal possessions, referred to as chattels, were designated for a trust fund benefiting her son, Robin Birley.
From the debutante balls of 1952 to the founding of Annabel's
The financial scale of the estate is a reflection of a life spent at the center of the British establishment. Born Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, she entered society as a debutante at 18, attending a coming-out dance graced by the late Queen. This trajectory led her to Mark Birley, her first husband, who founded the exclusive west London nightclub Annabel's, named in her honor.
Lady Annabel Goldsmith's influence extended beyond the nightlife of Mayfair and Chelsea. She was a pivotal figure in the royal circle, serving as a confidante to Princess Diana during the volatile years of the royal marriage. Her later years were defined by her role as a Eurosceptic political campaigner and the author of her autobiography, Annabel: An Unconventional Life, mirroring the political convictions of Sir James Goldsmith and his Referendum Party.
The specifics of the 1965 trust settlement
While the probate records provide a clear view of the net estate, certain details remain opaque.. Specifically, the will mentions a 1965 trust settlement that was left in equal shares to Robin Birley and India-Jane, but the nature and value of this older settlement are not disclosed in the available records. Furthermore, as the reporting relies on UK probate records, it remains unverified whether Lady Annabel Goldsmith held additional assets in other jurisdictions that would alter the total valuation of her global estate.
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