 Sir Bernard Ashley was the company chairperson of Laura Ashley and Laura kept a close eye on fabrics.The astonishing success of what proved to be the ultimate cottage industry, bought the Ashleys a yacht, a private plane, a French château in Picardy, a town-house in Brussels, and the villa "Contenta" in Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas, currently for sale at $8.5million.In 1985, on her 60th birthday, while she was visiting her children in the UK, Laura fell down the stairs and was rushed to hospital where she died ten days later.