Cilla’s sons to share her £ 15million fortune
CILLA Black’s sons will inherit about £ 4million each from her will.
The star, who died in Spain last August from a stroke after falling while sunbathing, left almost all her £ 15.2million fortune to Robert, 45, Jack, 35, and Ben, 41.
Each will net about £ 3million after a £ 6million inheritance tax bill is paid.
But they will ultimately receive even more from their shares in her £ 2million villa in Spain and her £ 1.5million penthouse in Barbados.
They were left to them but are not subject to tax in Britain.
Cilla, 72, made one other bequest by leaving her longserving housekeeper Penelope Walker, who worked at her mansion in Denham, Bucks, £ 20,000.
A family source said: “Cilla adored her sons and treated Penny as part of the family.”
Cilla was a millionaire at 25 and owned a portfolio of luxurious properties around the world.
Her main family home was bought in 1970 – the 17- acre estate in Denham. It boasts a putting green, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, 10 bedrooms and five bathrooms and its value is put at £ 5million.
She also owned a sixthfloor penthouse property in Westminster, which was once an office she shared with her husband Bobby.
The property – complete with two bathrooms – is said to have been worth about £ 2.3million.
Accident
Along with her property interests she was also said to have an extensive art collection, including a Salvador Dali sketch.
The death of ITV1 star Cilla – who hosted long- running TV shows Surprise, Surprise and Blind Date – was ruled an accident last year by Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello.
She had collapsed from suspected heatstroke, lost her balance and struck her head, causing the fatal stroke.
The coroner told her sons: “Your mum was far more than just your mum – she was a daughter of Liverpool and she was celebrated and loved by all in Liverpool.
“That will be part of her abiding memory and memorial. Continue to celebrate her life.”
Cilla was born in the Scotland Road area of the city to Roman Catholic working class parents.
She married her late husband Bobby Willis, her manager for most of her career, in 1969 in Liverpool having already become a chart star with hits such as 1964’ s Anyone Who Had A Heart.
After losing Bobby to cancer in 1999, aged 57, their son Robert acted as her manager.
He and brothers Ben and Jack were directors of the firm CB Prime Limited, formed as Cilla began her career. She never remarried and in later life suffered from arthritis and loss of hearing.