Diana Rigg: Her Private Life – Smoking, Net Worth, and More

Few actresses command as much fascination for their on-screen presence and off-screen mystery as Dame Diana Rigg. Even after her death in 2020 at age 82, details about her personal habits—from her decades-long smoking habit to the unusual £5,000 bequest to her nail technician—continue to intrigue fans. The following explores the lesser-known aspects of her life, drawing on interviews, will documents, and biographical records.

Full name: Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg ·
Born: 20 July 1938 ·
Died: 10 September 2020 ·
Notable roles: Emma Peel (The Avengers), Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones) ·
Daughter: Rachael Stirling

Nine key facts about Diana Rigg, one pattern: her career spanned six decades but her private life remained carefully guarded until after her death.

Was Diana Rigg a heavy smoker?

Public speculation about Diana Rigg’s smoking

• According to IMDb Trivia (crowd-sourced database), Rigg began smoking at age 18 and was still smoking 20 cigarettes a day as recently as 2009.
• An Anglotopia article (British-interest blog) echoes the heavy smoking claim, saying she smoked up to 20 a day until 2017.

Absence of official comments

• Rigg never publicly discussed her smoking habit in interviews, leaving the extent of her usage to anecdotal reports.
• Her lung cancer diagnosis in March 2020, confirmed by Wikipedia (community-edited reference), is consistent with a long-term smoking history.

Who did Diana Rigg leave her money to?

Bequest to nail technician

• The Express (UK tabloid newspaper) reported that Rigg left £5,000 from her £3.3 million estate to Miss Zhu, the manager of the Nail Gallery in Chelsea who had provided manicures and pedicures since 2001.
• According to the same report, Miss Zhu declined the inheritance and chose to pass it to Rigg’s grandson.

Other beneficiaries (family)

• Most of Rigg’s estate, including international properties, was left to her daughter Rachael Stirling (The Express).
• £280,500 was allocated to other family members and charitable organizations (The Express).
• A quirky instruction in her will: £500 to provide wine at the next family gathering after her death, with a request not to toast her but to recognize her in the menu (The Express).

The pattern: Rigg’s will reflected both deep loyalty to long-time service providers and a wry sense of humour.

How old was Diana Rigg when she appeared in The Avengers?

Birth and debut in The Avengers

• Diana Rigg was born on 20 July 1938 (Wikipedia).
• She began playing Emma Peel in 1965 (Wikipedia).

Calculating her age at the time

• She was 27 years old when filming started in 1965 (calculated from birth year 1938).
• Her age contributed to the youthful, stylish persona of Emma Peel that became iconic.

The catch: although she was only 27, Rigg later described feeling unhappy and isolated on set, making her performances all the more remarkable.

Did Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg get along?

On-set friendship

• According to IMDb Trivia and The Guardian obituary (UK broadsheet newspaper), Rigg said that her only friends on The Avengers set were Patrick Macnee and the crew.
• The two remained close friends until Macnee’s death in 2015 (Wikipedia).

Later relationship

• In interviews, Rigg fondly recalled Macnee’s support during her difficult years on the show (The Guardian).
• Macnee publicly described her as one of the most talented actresses he ever worked with.

Why this matters: amid her reported unhappiness, the Macnee friendship was a bright spot that shaped her early career.

How much was Diana Rigg worth when she died?

Estimated wealth from acting career

• Celebrity-finance sites estimate Rigg’s net worth at roughly $10 million in 2021 (insurance.jaksoftware.co.in (celebrity finance site)).
• However, that figure is presented as a general approximation rather than derived from probate records (diana-rigg-net-worth.pages.dev (explainer page)).

Lack of public disclosure

• No exhaustive probate filing has been published, leaving the exact amount unverified.
• The Express reported her estate at £3.3 million based on will documents, but that may not reflect total assets including properties and investments.

What perfume did Diana Rigg wear?

Perfume in film roles

• In The Avengers, Emma Peel’s signature scent was reportedly Je Reviens by Worth, based on costume supervisor notes (IMDb Trivia).
• No official endorsement from Rigg herself exists for any fragrance.

Personal fragrance preferences

• Friends and colleagues never publicly mentioned her personal perfume choice.
• The only documented scents are those used in productions.

The upshot: perfume fans have only on-screen clues; Rigg’s private fragrance remains unknown.

Timeline

• 1938 – Born in Doncaster, Yorkshire (Wikipedia)
• 1965–1968 – Played Emma Peel in The Avengers (Wikipedia)
• 1969 – Appeared in James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Wikipedia)
• 1970s–1990s – Extensive stage career including Medea, Mother Courage (Wikipedia)
• 2011–2017 – Played Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones (Wikipedia)
• 2020 – Died at age 82 (Wikipedia)

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Birth and death dates: 20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020 (Wikipedia)
• Roles in The Avengers and Game of Thrones (Wikipedia)
• Daughter Rachael Stirling (Wikipedia)
• Close friendship with Patrick Macnee (The Guardian)

What’s unclear

• Whether she was a heavy smoker — unconfirmed by official records
• Exact net worth at death — no published probate accounting
• Specific perfume she wore personally — only on-screen scents known
• Whether the nail technician ultimately accepted or redirected the inheritance
• Bequest of £5,000 to nail technician Miss Zhu (The Express)

Quotes

“The Good Lord must have said, ‘Send the old bag down again, I’m not having her yet!’”

— Diana Rigg, on surviving a cardiac procedure, as quoted in IMDb Trivia

“She often said she was unhappy on The Avengers, claiming that her only friends were Patrick Macnee and the crew.”

— The Guardian obituary

“Miss Zhu had been providing manicures and pedicures to Rigg at the Nail Gallery in Chelsea since 2001.”

— The Express

Summary

For fans of Diana Rigg, the gap between public persona and private life is both frustrating and endearing. The smoking reports, the nail technician bequest, and the unclear net worth all point to a woman who kept her personal choices close. For biographers and casual readers alike, the lesson about Diana Rigg is clear: enjoy her roles, respect her mystery, and accept that her private life remains her own.

Frequently asked questions