UK stage and screen star Haydn Gwynne dies at 66 after cancer diagnosis

LONDON (AP) — Haydn Gwynne, a versatile and acclaimed performer on British stage and screen, has died. She was 66 and had recently been diagnosed with cancer. 

Gwynne’s agent Alex Irwin said the actress died in a London hospital early Friday, “surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends.” 

Born in 1957, Gwynne taught English in Italy before becoming an actor. She had her breakout role as a harried television news producer in 1990s sitcom “Drop the Dead Donkey,” a sharp but affectionate depiction of the world of journalism. 

She also starred in medical drama “Peak Practice” and was a standout in royal roles, playing Queen Camilla in royal satire “The Windsors” and lady-in-waiting Susan Hussey in “The Crown.”