Prunella Scales

English actress

Born: June 22, 1932 · Died: October 27, 2025

Famous Persons

Who was Prunella Scales?

Prunella Margaret Rumney West (née Illingworth; 22 June 1932 – 27 October 2025), known professionally as Prunella Scales, was an English actress. Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, the daughter of John Richardson Illingworth, a cotton salesman at Tootal who served as a lieutenant with the Wiltshire Regiment in the First World War, and with the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in the Second World War, and Catherine, née Scales, known as "Bim", an actress who had for a time attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was later with the Liverpool Playhouse's Repertory Company. She later appeared in the TV documentary series Great Canal Journeys (2014–2019), travelling waterways in the UK and abroad with her husband, the actor Timothy West. Prunella Margaret Rumney West, known professionally as Prunella Scales, was an English actress.

Historical significance

She is best known for her portrayal of Sybil Fawlty in the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers (1975–1979) and her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's A Question of Attribution (1991), which earned her a BAFTA nomination.

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Prunella Scales.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/prunella-scales/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

APA

Prunella Scales. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/prunella-scales/

Chicago

“Prunella Scales.” thisDay. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/prunella-scales/.

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