Haydn Gwynne, ‘The Windsors’ and ‘The Crown’ actor, dies aged 66

Haydn Gwynne, best known for starring in television series The Windsors and The Crown, has died aged 66.

Her agent confirmed that she passed away in hospital on Friday (October 20), after receiving a cancer diagnosis a month earlier.

Gwynne, who played Camilla in the Channel 4 royal parody The Windsors, and Lady Susan Hussey in Season 5 of Netflix drama The Crown, also had a celebrated career on stage, receiving Tony and Olivier Award nominations.

From “Billy Elliott” onstage to “The Windsors” and so much more onscreen, Haydn Gwynne was a total original. Every performance was matchless. pic.twitter.com/KSiK7PQA2J

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) October 20, 2023

“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 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “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.”

Gwynne appeared in a number of television shows in the 1980s, gaining her breakthrough in the Channel 4 satirical sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey, where she played the cynical journalist Alex Pates. She was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for the role in 1992.

On stage, she played Margaret Thatcher in Peter Morgan’s The Audience opposite Helen Mirren, and the dance teacher in Billy Elliot the Musical. She was set to appear in a new London production of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, but withdrew last month, citing “personal reasons”. The show’s producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that Friday’s (October 20) performance would be dedicated to Gwynne’s memory and her “extraordinary career”.

The actor Ian McKellen paid tribute to Gwynne on Twitter, writing, “From Billy Elliot onstage to The Windsors and so much more onscreen, Haydn Gwynne was a total original. Every performance was matchless.”

Channel 4 paid tribute to the actor, saying, “Haydn was a force of nature both on-and-off screen. An incredible comic actor who always found the perfect balance of caricature and intensity, of lightness and darkness. She was an amazing person to be around, passionate, impressive and inspiring. From The Windsors to Drop the Dead Donkey, we are privileged to have worked with Haydn at Channel 4. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this time.”

The playwright Jack Thorne, whose show When Winston Went to War With the Wireless starred Gwynne at the Donmar Warehouse in London this year, said, “Haydn was the kindest, loveliest soul and a wonderful performer. She gave everything to everything.”