The actress known for playing Queen Camilla in the sitcom The Windsors died in October 2023 at the age of 66. It has now been revealed she left a huge fortune to her two sons
The Windsors star Haydn Gwynne, famed for her portrayal of Queen Camilla and Alex Plates in Drop the Dead Donkey, has left a hefty inheritance to her two sons in a will penned just months before she passed away.
Haydn sadly lost her battle with cancer in October 2023. Her agent announced at the time: “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.”
Now, over a year after her death, it’s come to light that her will directs the majority of her £1.38million estate to her sons, Orlando and Harrison. The talented actress also generously allocated £1,000 donations to six charities – Sightsavers, Cancer Research, Oxfam, Age UK, Barnardo’s, and Crisis UK.
The remainder of her wealth is bequeathed to her sons, who also served as executors of her will. Haydn shone on stage in ‘Billy Elliot the Musical’ as Billy’s dance teacher, gracing both West End and Broadway, and even snagged a Tony Award nomination, reports the Mirror.
Her other notable theatre work includes playing Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Audience’. She was set for a stage comeback in September but was tragically diagnosed with cancer.
Born in Sussex, the star pursued a degree in sociology at the University of Nottingham before embarking on a five-year lectureship at the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy, where she taught English as a foreign language. Haydn resided in London with her partner Jason Phipps, the father of her two sons, but they separated prior to her passing.
In her mid-twenties, Haydn transitioned into acting. Her first significant TV role was as feminist lecturer Dr Robyn Penrose in the 1989 BBC mini-series Nice Work.
The following year, she secured her first major comedy role in Drop the Dead Donkey, playing Alex Pates. Fans may also recognise her from the 1991 Children’s ITV sci-fi series Time Riders and Peak Practice, where she portrayed Dr Joanna Graham.
After two series, her character was written out of the show when Dr Graham was tragically shot while trying to mediate a dispute between a man and his daughter.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
