Jill Freud, Narnia Inspiration, Dies at 98

Jill Freud, the British actress and producer whose life inspired a key character in C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" series and who appeared in the 2003 film "Love Actually," has died at the age of 98.

Her daughter, broadcaster Emma Freud, announced the death on social media, describing how her mother passed peacefully after an evening with family. "My beautiful 98-year-old mum has taken her final bow," Emma wrote. "After a loving evening where we knew she was on her way, surrounded by children, grandchildren and pizza, she told us all to f off so she could go to sleep. And then she never woke up. Her final words were 'I love you.'"

Born June Flewett on April 22, 1927, Freud was evacuated from London to Oxford at age 16 during World War II, along with her sister. She and her sister were placed in the household of author C.S. Lewis and his companion, Jane Moore. Freud lived there for about two years, during which Lewis grew fond of her and later modeled the character of Lucy Pevensie in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," first published in 1950, after her. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Freud reflected on the connection, saying, "It's years since I...