Sir Ken Dodd, beloved comedian, and his wife, Lady Anne Dodd, were forced into protecting his estate in March last year by marrying each other two days prior to Dodd’s death. The money saved from his substantial estate is now being ploughed into a variety of Dodd’s passion projects in his hometown, Liverpool.
Death bed marriages or urgent marriages have been widely publicised in recent years, with more on the rise as committed couples look to protect their assets from inheritance tax before they die.
According to the Home Office and Passport Office, there was a significant increase in the number of applications for urgent marriages.
In a bid to ensure protections from inheritance tax, many urgent marriages were made by couples, where at least one was suffering from poor health.
The Passport Office’s most recent statistics suggest that 190 urgent marriage applications were made in 2018; this equates to an 11% increase from 2017’s figures.
By applying for a registrar General’s Licence to get married or enter a civil partnership when in urgent circumstances, the registrar has the power to marry the couple in any location at any time. It seems as though marriages made under these circumstances are usually made for pragmatic reasons and are increasing in popularity.
Having been together for over forty years, comedian Ken Dodd married Lady Anne Dodd just before he died. This meant that his estate, that has been valued at over £27 million was protected from HM Revenue and Customs.
Lady Anne Dodd has since announced that millions of pounds from the estate will be donated to a number of causes in Liverpool that were close to Dodd’s heart.
The money will now be spent on local churches, including the church opposite his house, and a variety of hospitals in the local area. Lady Anne Dodd has also ensured that his love for the theatre is preserved by donating money to a number of local theatre groups close to Sir Ken Dodd.
Lady Anne Dodd, Ken’s partner for over 40 years, said: “Ken loved to make people laugh – it was his life, not just a job.
“He had no desire for the trappings of wealth and it was his wish that the majority of his estate will go to charities close to his heart, many of them local.
“As his wife, beneficiary of his estate, and also knowing the contents of the will he made some years ago, I will be able to honour his wishes.
“Ken was also a great supporter of our hospitals, and the Foundation will look to help them, as well as various health charities. He was always full of praise for the NHS – not least Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, where he was treated shortly before he died – and Clatterbridge Hospital, of which he was a patron.”
How important is the option to marry someone on their death bed? Is this a trend that is set to increase?
