Haydn Gwynne: Sussex-born actress and star of Drop the Dead Donkey and The Windsors dies aged 66

Gywnne, from Hurstpierpoint, was the star of popular television sitcoms such as Channel 4's Drop the Dead Donkey and appeared as Queen Camilla in the Royal Family parody sitcom The Windsors.

She also appeared in acclaimed on-stage performances, including in the West End hit musical Billy Elliot in the role of the dancer's mother-figure dance teacher and picked up a Tony Award nomination for her performance. She was also lauded for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in the stage show The Audience.

The actress was due to make a return to the stage in September. However this was cancelled after Gwynne was diagnosed with cancer, which would ultimately take her life.

In a statement, Gwynne's agent said: "It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday, October 20, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends.

"We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks."

According an obituary in The Guardian, Gywnne was born into a large family in Hurstpierpoint – where her father ran a printing business.

The obit read: “Gwynne was a late developer as an actor, although she had dabbled in amateur dramatics while at school in Sussex.

"She had been on the verge of a career as a tennis player, having represented Sussex at junior county level, but from Burgess Hill girls’ school went instead to Nottingham University, then took off for five years on a university lectureship in Rome, teaching English as a foreign language.”