Prunella Scales’ son Samuel West final had a “correct dialog” along with his late mother two years in the past.
Prunella Scales died on Monday (27.10.25) after an extended battle with dementia
The Fawlty Towers actress died at her house in London, England, on Monday (27.10.25) after an extended battle with vascular dementia.
Prunella was identified with the degenerative situation – which causes a decline in pondering, reminiscence, and reasoning abilities – in 2013, however she suffered reminiscence difficulties in 2001.
And it brought on the late star to ask Samuel how previous she was in 2023 – which marked their ultimate actual dialogue.
He stated on the newest episode of 77-year-old broadcaster Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast – recorded earlier than Prunella’s loss of life: “The final correct dialog I had along with her was a few years in the past, the place she stated to me, ‘How previous am I?’
“And I stated, ‘You are 91, mother.’ And he or she stated, ’91? F***.’
“Superbly, superbly enunciated, superbly timed. And it isn’t fairly the final dialog we had, however it could become the final one which made any type of sense.”
Regardless of her well being deteriorating, Prunella was in a position to chat with Queen Camilla, 78, throughout an occasion at Lamb Home, Rye, East Sussex, England, final 12 months, and the celebration’s host, Gyles, informed Sam that Prunella’s situation was not clear to others.
Talking concerning the occasion – which was held on the house of E. F. Benson, who penned the Mapp and Lucia tales, which had been tailored for TV, with Prunella being a star within the drama – Gyles stated: “Final 12 months, she very sweetly got here together with your father.
“They got here right down to Rye as a result of I used to be internet hosting an occasion at Lamb Home, as soon as the house of E.F. Benson, who wrote the great Mapp and Lucia tales that your mom, Prunella Scales, starred within the tv model with Geraldine McEwen and Nigel Hawthorne. It was a beautiful collection.
“And we went down there, and your father learn from the books, and he was in superb kind.
“Queen Camilla got here, and what was attention-grabbing is that your mom appeared to recognise Queen Camilla. Definitely, they kissed they usually had a cheerful chat.
“And for those who hadn’t recognized [about Prunella having dementia], you virtually would not have recognized … she laughed on the jokes.”
Nonetheless, Prunella wanted “fixed care” following the loss of life of her beloved 90-year-old husband, legendary actor Timothy West, in November 2024, however she nonetheless went out and about.
Sam stated: “She noticed my eight 12 months previous sing on the similar church the place my father’s memorial was, St. James’s [Church] Piccadilly, solely a few months in the past.
“We have had a stairlift fitted, so now she sleeps upstairs and is taken care of at house. She wants fixed care, however she will get out.
“And the photographs I’ve, I could not make the present, sadly, however the footage I’ve of them collectively present them completely having fun with one another’s firm.”
He added: “She’s by no means actually been offended or anxious, as an individual with dementia. She’s fairly content material, I believe, which is pretty extraordinary as a result of it could possibly be quite a bit worse.
“We’re solvent and have been in a position to afford medication that sluggish the onset of the illness for almost 25 years.
“Probably the most troublesome factor is my father dropping his finest mate, and her wit going. They had been all the time in a position to make one another chortle.
“There have been two nice blessings in my mother and father’ marriage. They labored about the identical period of time, they had been unemployed for about the identical period of time.
“They had been roughly as well-known as one another, they usually all the time made one another chortle – that is three issues.
“He could not type of perceive the place that particular person had gone. My father’s died. They in all probability went within the incorrect order.
“She’s not very responsive, and we’ve got to be trustworthy and say she’s not nicely sufficient to know that he is gone, which type of sounds unhappy, however then she’s not mourning a 61-year marriage, which at her age is fairly cool, I believe.
“She’s in love along with her carer, who’s a really good younger lady.”
And Sam stated Prunella – who additionally has a son known as Joseph – was by no means pleased with herself in her youthful days.
He added: “I believe my mom did not love being herself and that was one of many hardest issues about her dementia, as a result of as quickly as she could not faux to be any individual else she received moderately upset.”
