Trivia

A big fan of boating, he owned a narrowboat since 1979 and regularly holidayed on it with his family. He was also vice-president of The Waterways Trust, the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and a patron of the Huddersfield Canal Society. He was also involved in the restoration of The Waverley, the world's last ocean-going paddle steamer.

West's young sons, Samuel and Joseph, appeared as his on-screen sons, George and Eddy, when he played the title role in "Edward the Seventh" in 1975.

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to drama in the 1984 Queen's Birthday Honours List. His wife, Prunella Scales, was awarded the CBE in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Was the President of the prestigious drama school London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), in London.

Has traced his family back to the Carletons in 17th century at Rossfad, near Innisklew, Ireland.

Although he played Annette Crosbie's son in Edward the King (1975), he was only eight months her junior in real life. Similarly, Felicity Kendal played his elder sister in the series in spite of the fact that she was twelve years his junior.

He and his son Samuel West have both played roles in different film adaptations of 101 Dalmatians. In 102 Dalmatians (2000) Timothy plays the Judge while in 101 Dalmatians II Patchs London Adventure Samuel is the voice of Pongo.

Met second wife Prunella Scales in 1960 when they appeared together in the television production "She Died Young". They married three years later after his divorce.

1953 was box office manager at the Frinton Summer theatre in Essex.

Attended Bristol Grammar School in Bristol, England, where he was in the same class as actor Julian Glover. Darth Vader portrayer David Prowse was also in the same year there.

He played the Prince of Wales / King Edward VII between the ages of 22 (in 1863) and 68 (in 1910) in Edward the King (1975).

Has three grandchildren; Felix, Mathilde and Clement, via son Joseph West.

Timothy was born in Bradford. His parents were both actors on tour, performing at Bradford's Prince's Theatre at the time.

Both he and his father Lockwood West have played King Edward VII. He played the monarch in Edward the King (1975) while the elder West played him in both Guest of Honour (1972) and All Flesh Is Grass (1981).

Has two granddaughters, born in 2014 and 2017, via son Samuel West and his partner Laura Wade.

One of his ancestors, Sir Guy Carleton, was Governor General of Canada.

Considered for the roles of Dr. Armstrong, Sir Percy Heseltine and Dr. Bukovsky in Lifeforce (1985).

On stage, he played Macbeth twice, Uncle Vanya twice, Solness in Ibsen's The Master Builder twice, and King Lear four times.

He met his wife, Prunella Scales when they were relatively unknowns in the television production She Died Young. He was already married but they got together after his divorce.

He was educated at the John Lyon School, Harrow on the Hill, at Bristol Grammar School and at Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster).

Worked as an office furniture salesman and as a recording technician at EMI before becoming an assistant stage manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956.

West was president of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (being succeeded by Benedict Cumberbatch in January 2018) and was president of the Society for Theatre Research.

Artistic director of the Forum Theatre, Billingham (1973); co-artistic director of the Prospect Theatre Company at the Old Vic (1980-81); director-in-residence at the University of Western Australia (1982).

His first wife, Jacqueline Boyer, developed mental health problems and they eventually separated after 5 years.

West was an Ambassador of SOS Children's Villages, an international orphan charity providing homes and mothers for orphaned and abandoned children. He supported the charity's annual World Orphan Week.

In 1959, he wrote and produced a short audio play, This Gun That I Have in My Right Hand Is Loaded, satirising typical mistakes of radio drama, including over-explanatory dialogue and misuse of sound cues.

Timothy West was a member of the BBC Radio Drama Repertory Company in 1962 and took part in over 500 radio broadcasts.

He received four AudioFile Earphones Awards for his narration.

He was also patron of London-based drama school Associated Studios.

The Guardian crossword setter Biggles referred to West's 50th wedding anniversary in its prize crossword puzzle (number 26,089) on 26 October 2013.

During his life, West was awarded eight honorary doctorates: University of Bradford (1993), University of the West of England (1994), University of East Anglia (1996), University of Westminster (1999), University of London (2004), University of Hull (2004), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2004), and University of Kent (2018).

He was a patron of the Inland Waterways Association.

West was patron of the National Piers Society, a charity dedicated to preserving and promoting seaside piers.

In 1984, West was appointed CBE for his services to drama.

Timothy West recorded many unabridged audiobooks, including the complete Barchester Chronicles and the complete Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope, and seven of George MacDonald Fraser's The Flashman Papers books.

In 2004, West toured Australia with the Carl Rosa Opera Company as director of a production of H.M.S. Pinafore, also singing the role of Sir Joseph Porter.

West was a supporter of the Talyllyn Railway in mid Wales, the first preserved railway in the world. He visited on a number of occasions, the last being the summer of 2015 to attend the railway's 150th anniversary.

West was a Patron of Kids for Kids, helping children living in remote villages of Darfur, Sudan through sustainable projects. He and his wife supported Kids for Kids for many years and he continued to be a Reader at the annual Candlelit Christmas Concert at St Peter's Eaton Square where he always chose something he knew the children would love.

He was accepted as a fellow to the Royal Society of Arts in 1992.

Having spent years as a familiar face who never quite became a household name, West's big break came with the major television series Edward the Seventh (1975), in which he played the title role from age 23 until the King's death; his real-life sons, Samuel and Joseph, played the sons of the King as children. His father, Lockwood West, also portrayed King Edward VII in 1972 in an episode of the LWT television drama series Upstairs, Downstairs.

West worked as an office furniture salesman and as a recording technician before becoming an assistant stage manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956.

In 1989, West played Nigel in the Thames Television sitcom After Henry alongside his real-life wife, Prunella Scales, who played Sarah France. They appeared together in the episode 'Upstagers', shown on 21 March 1989.

He was co-artistic director of the Prospect Theatre Company at the Old Vic from 1980 to 1981, where he directed Trelawny of the 'Wells' and The Merchant of Venice. He was director-in-residence at the University of Western Australia in 1982.

His final acting role was in the penultimate episode of the BBC daytime series Doctors, which was screened the day after his death.