Proper

31 October 2025

Prunella Scales’ son Samuel West last had a “proper conversation” with his late mom two years ago.

Prunella Scales died on Monday (27.10.25) after a long battle with dementia

The Fawlty Towers actress died at her home in London, England, on Monday (27.10.25) after a long battle with vascular dementia.

Prunella was diagnosed with the degenerative condition – which causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills – in 2013, but she suffered memory difficulties in 2001.

And it caused the late star to ask Samuel how old she was in 2023 – which marked their final real discussion.

He said on the latest episode of 77-year-old broadcaster Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast – recorded before Prunella’s death: “The last proper conversation I had with her was a couple of years ago, where she said to me, ‘How old am I?’

“And I said, ‘You’re 91, mom.’ And she said, ’91? F***.’

“Beautifully, beautifully enunciated, beautifully timed. And it’s not quite the last conversation we had, but it may turn out to be the last one that made any sort of sense.”

Despite her health deteriorating, Prunella was able to chat with Queen Camilla, 78, during an event at Lamb House, Rye, East Sussex, England, last year, and the celebration’s host, Gyles, told Sam that Prunella’s condition was not clear to others.

Speaking about the event – which was held at the home of E. F. Benson, who penned the Mapp and Lucia stories, which were adapted for TV, with Prunella being a star in the drama – Gyles said: “Last year, she very sweetly came with your father.

“They came down to Rye because I was hosting an event at Lamb House, once the home of E.F. Benson, who wrote the wonderful Mapp and Lucia stories that your mother, Prunella Scales, starred in the television version with Geraldine McEwen and Nigel Hawthorne. It was a wonderful series.

“And we went down there, and your father read from the books, and he was in very good form.

“Queen Camilla came, and what was interesting is that your mother seemed to recognise Queen Camilla. Certainly, they kissed and they had a happy chat.

“And if you hadn’t known [about Prunella having dementia], you almost wouldn’t have known … she laughed at the jokes.”

However, Prunella needed “constant care” following the death of her beloved 90-year-old husband, legendary actor Timothy West, in November 2024, but she still went out and about.

Sam said: “She saw my eight year old sing at the same church where my father’s memorial was, St. James’s [Church] Piccadilly, only a couple of months ago.

“We’ve had a stairlift fitted, so now she sleeps upstairs and is looked after at home. She needs constant care, but she gets out.

“And the pictures I have, I couldn’t make the show, unfortunately, but the pictures I have of them together show them absolutely enjoying each other’s company.”

He added: “She’s never really been angry or anxious, as a person with dementia. She’s quite content, I think, which is fairly extraordinary because it could be a lot worse.

“We’re solvent and have been able to afford drugs that slow the onset of the disease for nearly 25 years.

“The most difficult thing is my father losing his best mate, and her wit going. They were always able to make each other laugh.

“There were two great blessings in my parents’ marriage. They worked about the same amount of time, they were unemployed for about the same amount of time.

“They were roughly as famous as each other, and they always made each other laugh – that’s three things.

“He couldn’t sort of understand where that person had gone. My father’s died. They probably went in the wrong order.

“She’s not very responsive, and we have to be honest and say she’s not well enough to know that he’s gone, which sort of sounds sad, but then she’s not mourning a 61-year marriage, which at her age is pretty cool, I think.

“She’s in love with her carer, who is a very nice young woman.”

And Sam said Prunella – who also has a son called Joseph – was never happy with herself in her younger days.

He added: “I think my mother didn’t love being herself and that was one of the hardest things about her dementia, because as soon as she couldn’t pretend to be somebody else she got rather upset.”