Revealed: How the Queen's beloved cousin Margaret Rhodes slashed the legacy to her oldest child

  • The Queen's late cousin and friend Rhodes died in November at the age of 91
  • She changed her will to remove a legacy she had left her elder son, Simon
  • Originally left him £15k and quarter of her estate, but later removed the legacy

By Sebastian Shakespeare for the Daily Mail

Published: 20:30 EST, 22 February 2017 | Updated: 05:36 EST, 23 February 2017

A beloved friend and cousin of the Queen, Margaret Rhodes, has caused intrigue with her will.

I can disclose that Rhodes, who died in November at the age of 91, changed her will to remove a legacy she had left her elder son, Simon.

She originally left him £15,000 as well as a quarter of her estate, but in a codicil made in May 2000, she removed the legacy.

A beloved friend and cousin of the Queen, Margaret Rhodes, has caused intrigue with her will

A beloved friend and cousin of the Queen, Margaret Rhodes, has caused intrigue with her will

In a second codicil that year, she left £25,000 to her other children Michael, Annabel and Victoria, but there was no reference to Simon, 59.

Three of her children will receive £25,000 each and then a quarter share of the residual estate of approximately £50,000.

Simon, a former company director who lives on a farm in Perth, is expected to receive around £12,500 from his mother’s estate.

Figures released by the probate office in Bristol show that Mrs Rhodes, who was one of the Queen’s bridesmaids, left a gross estate of up to £325,000.

After her outstanding affairs were settled, this produced a net figure of £132,000.

Mrs Rhodes was just ten months older than the Queen, who had visited her regularly at her grace-and-favour home in Windsor during the illness that claimed her life

I can disclose that Rhodes, who died in November at the age of 91, changed her will to remove a legacy she had left her elder son, Simon

Mrs Rhodes was just ten months older than the Queen, who had visited her regularly at her grace-and-favour home in Windsor during the illness that claimed her life. 

The pair were close friends since childhood and spent holidays together.

During World War II, Mrs Rhodes lived with the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

Following secretarial school, she worked for M16 as a secretary, before marrying the writer Denys Rhodes in 1950. When Mr Rhodes developed cancer, the Queen provided the couple with the Garden House in Windsor Great Park so he could be near a hospital for treatment. His wife stayed there after his death in 1981.

Mrs Rhodes wrote an autobiography that told of how the Queen slipped out of Buckingham Palace on VE Day to celebrate with the crowds, and later did the conga in the palace.

 

A portrait of Boris Johnson that went missing from London’s Polish club three months ago has been found. 

There were fears at the time that emigres with strong views on Brexit might have been responsible for its disappearance. 

Portrait artist Basia Hamilton tells me builders recently discovered it stashed away in a third-floor cupboard. ‘It’s a Polish miracle,’ says Hamilton. 

‘Pity it took such a long time to look in the cupboard.’

 

X Files' Scully steps out with hew new man 

Gillian Anderson tried to keep quiet about her relationship with screenwriter Peter Morgan

Gillian Anderson tried to keep quiet about her relationship with screenwriter Peter Morgan

X FIles star Gillian Anderson tried to keep quiet about her relationship with screenwriter Peter Morgan after I reported their budding romance four months ago, but she appears to have changed her mind.

The Fall actress, 48, made her first public appearance with Morgan, who separated from his Austrian wife Lila Schwarzenberg in 2014, at the British Film Institute chairman’s dinner in London this week. 

The twice-divorced mother-of-three sported a sleeveless dress to accompany the 53-year-old, who created the hit series The Crown.

After Gillian’s second marriage to film producer Julian Ozanne ended in 2007, she admitted she found dating hard.

‘If it happens, it happens. What I am sure about is that I want my next relationship to be The One,’ she said two years ago.

 

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has spoken movingly of his father’s alcoholism. 

One contemporary of his at Durham University recalls: ‘Jonathan never revealed that to us, but he was popular for a student politico and always had a girl on his arm. 

When he would have too much to drink at formal dinners, he would loudly proclaim, “Vote Labour, s**g Tory!” ’

 

Black Rod's tights tip

Black Rod — Lieutenant General David Leakey — reveals he’s become an expert in donning his ceremonial tights and costume in quick fire time since taking up the post six years ago.

In new BBC documentary Meet The Lords, Leakey, 64, confesses he can switch from modern attire to the uniform he has to wear for the daily procession in just five minutes.

Black Rod — Lieutenant General David Leakey — reveals he’s become an expert in donning his ceremonial tights and costume in quick fire time since taking up the post six years ago

Black Rod — Lieutenant General David Leakey — reveals he’s become an expert in donning his ceremonial tights and costume in quick fire time since taking up the post six years ago

‘I never thought I would get expert at putting stockings or tights on, but once you have mastered the art it’s not difficult,’ he says.

‘You just have to be careful you don’t push your foot carelessly through the sides.’

Comments (263)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now