Emma Freud reveals her mother Jill’s enduring connection with The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe was referenced on her coffin as family pay tribute to actress who inspired C.S Lewis following her death aged 98

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Emma Freud, a well-known broadcaster, recently spoke movingly about her mother, Jill, and her lasting relationship with C.S. Lewis, following Jill’s passing in November.

Jill and the famous author Lewis became lifelong friends after a chance encounter during wartime at his home in Oxford. She passed away on November 24th at the age of 98.

During the intense German bombing raids on London in World War II, the actress, then just sixteen years old, was sent from her home in the city to the countryside of Oxfordshire for safety.

In a surprising turn of events, she ended up living with Lewis, the author she admired most, and his wife, Joy Davidman. She worked as their housekeeper for two years and unknowingly became the inspiration for a character in his famous novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

On Monday, 63-year-old Emma shared that her mother had been cremated in a unique coffin. Her artist granddaughter, Martha, hand-painted it with details inspired by a beloved children’s book and her grandmother’s career as a dancer.

Emma shared a photo from the service and revealed it took place just over a day before the release of a new BBC podcast detailing her mother’s remarkable life and career.

She shared that her friend had perfect timing, completing her final work just the day before she passed away. They cremated her this morning in a uniquely decorated coffin painted by her niece, Martha Freud. The coffin featured imagery of C.S. Lewis on one end and the friend’s tap dancing shoes on the other – a fitting tribute to her life.

Scarlett Curtis, Jill’s daughter and a writer and activist—she even created the album art for Ed Sheeran’s ‘Autumn Variations’—remembered her mother by sharing how much her friendship with Lewis impacted Jill’s life.

The family announced the death of the actress in November, remembering her as a spirited, unconventional, and loving person. She originally inspired the character of Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as a child, and went on to have a thriving 30-year career in the arts.

Emma shared the sad news on Instagram that her 98-year-old mother had passed away. She described a peaceful evening with family, where they all knew her mother was nearing the end. Surrounded by loved ones and enjoying pizza, her mother playfully told everyone to ‘f off’ before peacefully falling asleep and not waking up. Emma said her mother’s last words were ‘I love you’.

When she was a child during the war, she was sent to live in Oxford, where she spent three years with C.S. Lewis. He reportedly used her as the inspiration for the character of Lucy in ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’.

Jill’s last film appearance was in Love Actually, directed by Richard Curtis, who is Emma’s husband. She played the role of the housekeeper at 10 Downing Street.

Emma also shared that she enjoyed a thirty-year career as an actress and producer, running two theatre companies in Suffolk. She was beloved by the hundreds of actors she employed, known for her enthusiasm, kindness, delicious shepherd’s pie, dedication to local theatre, and advocacy for actors’ rights. Her final on-screen role was as the housekeeper in the film ‘Love Actually’.

Every day, she ate a simple lunch of red wine and crisps. During the COVID-19 pandemic, even at 93 years old and confined with three other women who also studied Freud, she made sure to attend a tap dancing class each morning.

Jill Freud, age 98, was a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother – a vibrant woman with a playful spirit and a big heart. She leaves behind five children, seventeen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Heaven is lucky to have her!

Emma’s friends shared heartfelt messages online. Dawn French wrote, ‘Sending you all my love.’

Podcaster Elizabeth Day wrote: ‘What an amazing person. I’m so sorry. Sending love to you all.’

David Baddiel shared a message saying, ‘May her memory be a blessing,’ while actress Suranne Jones sent ‘all her love.’

Emma’s daughter, writer Scarlett Curtis, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram remembering her grandmother. She explained that her grandmother, known as Lady Jill Freud, didn’t like being called ‘granny,’ preferring to be remembered as an actress, tap dancer, and a strong, supportive friend.

Lady Jill was full of life and energy. She remained active well into her nineties, enjoying swimming, acting, and tap dancing. She continued to flirt, drink, and laugh right up until the very end.

Jill Flewett, born in 1927, was sent to Oxford with her sister during World War II when she was sixteen years old. She lived with the author C.S. Lewis and his wife, Jane Moore, and is believed to have inspired the character of Lucy Pevensie in Lewis’s famous book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I remember reading that she said in The Hollywood Reporter back in 2014 that she hadn’t looked at the script in years, but she’d seen a stage production a while back and was actually really pleased with how likable Lucy came across – she even said it was flattering!

For two years, Freud lived with Lewis, who then financially supported her attendance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

After graduating she had a career in the West End under the stage name Jill Raymond.

In 1950, she married Clement, the grandson of Sigmund Freud. Together, they had five children, including Emma and her brother, Matthew, who works in public relations. Clement passed away in 2009 at the age of 84.

Following her time as an actress, she established a theatre company in Suffolk in 1980. In 2021, the University of East Anglia recognized her contributions to the theatre with an honorary doctorate.

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2025-12-15 13:38