Hillary watch feud escalates

Peter Hillary is demanding more of his father's items from his stepmother, Lady Hillary. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Sir Edmund Hillary's widow June could face prosecution over the controversial Rolex watch which is being held by a Swiss auction house.

As the increasingly bitter controversy over the six Hillary watches being up for auction intensified yesterday, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage refused to rule out taking action against Lady Hillary.

The ministry wrote to Lady Hillary on Friday asking that a 1953 Rolex be returned by her after it ruled it was covered by the Protected Objects Act 1975.

Spokeswoman Lucy Orbell said the ministry was still awaiting a response.

Asked if it would prosecute, Orbell said: "That's something that the chief executive would have to consider."

And yesterday, Sir Ed's son Peter Hillary launched a stinging attack on Lady Hillary, accusing her of giving away many family artefacts that belonged to him and his sister, Sarah.

They are contesting ownership of the watches.

Lady Hillary's lawyer Ian Lowish said he had no comment to make.

"I think the point is that Sir Ed regarded them as just a few old watches," he said.

And in a twist to the saga, it emerged yesterday that Lady Hillary may have to pay Antiquorom's costs of $105,000 to get the watches back.

The auction house is holding onto the watches until the injunction is determined, or the money is paid to them.

Sarah and Peter Hillary's lawyer Alex Witten-Hannah said it was hoped mediation between the parties would decide the watches' ownership.

"If the High Court determines that Peter and Sarah own the watches, then Lady Hillary will have to stump up the $105,000 to return the watches," he said.

"If the High Court says Lady Hillary owns the watches, she would be free to put them back on sale, which is presumably what she would do."

Peter Hillary said auctioning the watches was the straw which broke the camel's back.

"There's been a whole series of things. Beautiful old Buddhist prayer books that were given to my parents. She [June] has given them to someone. They were these wonderful old books that have always been there, a central part of Dad's study and a part of our house, and again, by the gift of Dad's will they belong to Sarah and I."

He also believed some of the 17 artefacts Lady Hillary gifted to Otago Museum belonged to him and his sister. He read of their donation in the media.

Timeline

* January 2008 - Sir Edmund Hillary dies. His children Peter and Sarah barely speak to his widow Lady Hillary.

* November 5 - Peter and Sarah Hillary seek a High Court injunction to stop Lady Hillary selling a watch worth more than $25,000.

* November 6 - Peter is cut out of the Himalayan Trust because of personality conflicts.

* November 12 - Government steps in to plead for return of "culturally significant" watches.