Alexander McQueen died the day before his mother's funeral and left £50,000 to his dogs and most of £16 million to a charity for artists

Lee Alexander McQueen's mother, Joyce, died about ten days before him. On Thursday 11 February 2010 his cleaner found him hanged in a wardrobe at his Mayfair home. He was 40. It was the day before his mother's funeral. The family discussed burying them together and let her funeral go ahead. An inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard there were no suspicious circumstances and that he left a note. His will was made public in July 2011. His estate was valued at £16 million. He left £250,000 to each of his three sisters and two brothers. He left £50,000 to his godson and to each of his nieces and nephews, and £50,000 each to two members of his household staff. He left £100,000 each to the Terrence Higgins Trust, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the London Buddhist Centre and the Blue Cross. He set aside £50,000 for the care of his dogs. The rest went to his charity, Sarabande, which he hoped would fund scholarships at Central Saint Martins, the college he attended. Sarabande now gives scholarships and studio space to artists at Hertford Road in Haggerston and High Road in Tottenham, London. A review it quotes says it has supported over 130 artists.