Dick's firstborn James, 38, followed by Charlotte, 36, come from his first marriage to British engineer Brigit. Which child would eventually inherit the chateau has been a hot topic for years but James has finally revealed that it will fall into the hands of his half-siblings.

Under French law, which applies to most chateaux, inheritance is governed by a system called "Forced Heirship" (la réserve héréditaire). This means you cannot entirely disinherit your children. If a chateau owner dies, a specific portion of the estate must be shared equally among the children: 50% for one child, 66.6% for two, and 75% for three or more. Only the remaining portion (the quotité disponible) can be freely left to a spouse or a third party via a will. If there are no children, the surviving spouse typically has a claim to at least 25% of the estate. Because chateaux are often illiquid and expensive to maintain, many families face high inheritance taxes (up to 45% for children after a €100,000 allowance). To avoid the property being sold to pay taxes, many owners use a Property-Holding Company (SCI) or specialized trusts. In 2026, it is common for chateaux to be inherited by a collective of siblings who must decide whether to manage it as a business (such as a hotel or vineyard) or sell it to international investors.