Peace at last over King's £27m will.

The Daily Mail – 22/03/07

Ex-BA chief's family strike a deal.

He was Mrs Thatcher's favourite businessman, the washerwoman's son who through his sheer dynamism turned British Airways into an international success story.
But Lord King was less precise in matters closer to home -- particularly over the distribution of his £27 million fortune. So much so that almost two years after his death at the age of 87, his widow Isabel, daughter of the 8th Viscount Galway, and his family have been obliged to hammer out an agreement over his vast inheritance.

In order to avoid a ruinously expensive High Court action, Lady King and her late husband's four grown-up children by his first marriage 'agreed' to be sued by the industrialist's executors, advertising guru Lord Saatchi, former racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart and retired ambassador Sir Francis Kennedy.

And in the midst of the legal wrangling it has emerged, poignantly, that John King's last wish was to be buried alongside his first wife Lorna, who died tragically young in 1969.

He was laid to rest next to her in the leafy churchyard of St Michael and All Angel's Church, Wartnaby, near his 2,000-acre estate in Leicestershire. Curiously, despite his prominence in public life, Lord King's grave is marked with only a simple wooden cross.

Says a friend of the tycoon: 'John remained deeply distressed by Lorna's death. In his grief he bought the £20,000 pearl necklace he had promised for her next birthday and placed it around her neck before the funeral. In his later years he longed to be reunited with her.'

Lady King, 62, was left only £450,000 in his will. But she was also left his personal belongings and most of the remainder of his estate for her lifetime. Upon her death it will go to his grandson John-Erich King when he turns 35.
King's devoted personal assistant, Jayne Sheek, whom he used to joke really ran BA, was left £2,000.

Because the will was unclear about the rights of his widow to his personal possessions -- as well as the country estate, there is a home in Chelsea -- the executors took legal action to clarify how they should be split.

Solicitor Matthew Pintus tells me: 'It was not clear from Lord King's will what he actually meant. The executors encouraged the various beneficiaries to sit down and agree. The court action was a fall-back position and would not have been heard for more than a year. Lady King and the children have reached an amicable agreement.'

Lady King declines to elaborate, saying: 'This is old hat. The action has been withdrawn.'

©2007 Associated Newspapers. All rights reserved .
Date: 22/03/2007
Publication: The Daily Mail