William Shakespeare signed his will on 25 March 1616. To Anne Shakespeare (nee Hathaway), his wife of 34 years and mother of his children, he left the following, inserted near the end of the document: Item I gyve unto my wief my second best bed wth the furniture (furniture is used to refer to the curtains and bedcover which formed part of the complete bed). Under medieval common law in England a widow was entitled to one third of her late husband's estate for her life (or widowhood) even though it was not specifically mentioned in the will. In practice however, most wives were mentioned, usually in terms of affection and trust, and were frequently made executrix of the will. Unusually, in Shakespeare's we find no affectionate reference. The bequest of the second best bed is not in itself unusual, nor probably a snub as has been suggested. The best bed, or indeed best of any type of item was usually regarded as an heirloom to be passed to the heir. It is quite possible that the best bed had been reserved for guests and that the second best was, in fact, the bed that William and Anne shared. Why this is the only specified bequest to her has never been resolved.