The family of the late actor Leslie Phillips is engaged in a High Court battle with his widow, Zara Carr, over the disposition of his £4.4 million London residence. Phillips, known for his roles in the "Carry On" films and as the voice of the Sorting Hat in the "Harry Potter" franchise, died at the age of 98 in November 2022.
The dispute centers on Phillips's will, drawn up four years prior to his death, which stipulated that the west London home should be sold 33 months after his passing, by August 2025. The proceeds from the sale were intended to be placed into a trust and divided among Phillips's four children from his first marriage and Carr, his third wife.
However, Carr, who married Phillips in 2013 when he was 89 and she was in her mid-50s, has refused to vacate the property, asserting that Phillips had promised she could remain there for the rest of her life. She has been residing in the £4.4 million home since Phillips's death.
Court filings reveal the case is being handled as a 'Probate Part 8 claim – inheritance (provision for family/dependants)', indicating no substantial disputes of fact. The claimant is listed as Martin Edward Terrell, acting as executor of Phillips's estate, with Zara Elizabeth Phillips named as the defendant.
Carr expressed surprise upon learning of the High Court case, stating that Phillips's children had not been in touch with her and that she intended to stay in the home. "If they want me to come to court, I will do. I will come to court and fight it if I must. I am planning to stay put. I have no plans to move out - this is my home," she told The Sun.
Phillips, who starred in approximately 150 films, suffered a life-threatening stroke in 2015, after which Carr reportedly cared for him at the home for eight years. She provided him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation during a seizure in 2015.
According to the terms of the will, Phillips's four children from his first marriage – Caroline, Claudia, Andrew, and Roger – were each to receive £50,000 and a significant portion of the trust fund's shares. His 15 grandchildren were each to receive £5,000.
Carr was bequeathed £155,000, ten of Phillips's possessions valued up to £1,500 each, and a smaller share of the trust fund. Phillips's first wife, Penny Bartley, died in 1981, and his second wife, Angela Scoular, died in 2011.