‘The Crown’ actress Haydn Gwynne dead at 66

British actress Haydn Gwynne, best known for “The Crown” and “The Windsors,” died on Friday of cancer at age 66. 

In a statement to the BBC, her 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 20 October, 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.”

Born in West Sussex, England, Gwynne rose to prominence in the 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” “Sherlock” and the BBC series “Rome.”

In her career, she played a wide range of notable public figures, including Queen Camilla and Margaret Thatcher.

Gwynne earned a BAFTA nomination for her role in “Drop the Dead Donkey.” She’s best known for playing Queen Camilla in the British comedy series “The Windsors,” and also appeared in Season 5 of “The Crown” as one of Queen Elizabeth II’s ladies in waiting, Lady Susan Hussey.

She was also a Tony-nominated actress, with several notable theater roles — she played Margaret Thatcher in “The Crown” creator Peter Morgan’s play, “The Audience,” and she received Olivier and Tony award nominations as the dance teacher in “Billy Elliot: The Musical” (in London and in the Broadway production in New York).

In September 2023, she withdrew from the West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends,” shortly before it was due to open, citing “personal reasons” after being diagnosed with cancer.

She is survived by two sons that she had with her partner, Jason Phipps.