Last surviving member of von Trapp family dies aged 99

Maria von Trapp, the last surviving member of the family that inspired The Sound of Music, has died aged 99.

Von Trapp, the second-eldest daughter of the musical family, died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, her half-brother Johannes von Trapp said.

"She was a lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people," he said. "There wasn't a mean or miserable bone in her body. I think everyone who knew her would agree with that."

Maria von Trapp was the last surviving member of the seven original Trapp Family Singers made famous in The Sound of Music. She was portrayed as Louisa in the Oscar-winning 1965 film.