Lady Annabel Goldsmith, a prominent figure in high society and a close friend of Princess Diana, passed away at the age of 91 in October 2025, leaving an estate valued at over £5.6 million. According to probate records released on September 4, 2026, her UK assets amounted to £6,668,035, which was reduced to a net estate of £5,618,858 after liabilities were deducted.
Lady Annabel was the widow of Sir James Goldsmith and the mother of six children. The majority of her estate has been placed in trust for her two surviving children from her first marriage, entrepreneur Robin Birley, 66, and artist India-Jane, 61. A clause in her will indicated that her other three children from her marriage to Goldsmith—Jemima Goldsmith Khan, 52, Zac, 51, and Ben, 45—had already been 'generously provided for' by their late father, who was reportedly worth £1.2 billion at the time of his death in 1997.
The will, drafted in December 2024, specified that most of her personal possessions be placed in a trust fund for Robin. Additionally, she bequeathed a William Morris landscape painting to Charles Filmer, one of the executors of her estate, and made several smaller legacies to family members.
Lady Annabel Goldsmith was born Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart in June 1934 and was the daughter of the 8th Marquess of Londonderry. She married Mark Birley in 1954 and Sir James Goldsmith in 1978. She was known for her political activism, particularly as a Eurosceptic, and authored a best-selling autobiography titled 'Annabel: An Unconventional Life.' Throughout her life, she was recognized for her social engagements and contributions to various charitable causes, including the Countryside Alliance and the Soil Association.